Every year about this time, people talk about their New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year. They typically revolve around losing a little weight, getting more sleep, joining a gym, or spending more time with the family. While these are all fantastic personal goals, why not make this year's resolutions about improving your career?
After all, improving your professional life can lead to more happiness at work, increased confidence, and even a bigger pay check. In fact, these work improvements will most likely spill over and make your personal life better as well.
As 2019 kicks off, take stock and press the reset button by making positive resolutions for the future. Here are 10 of the best New Year's resolutions for career advancement and success:
1. Become a Volunteer
Undertaking new tasks and learning new skills through volunteering can help prevent boredom and improve your resume. Volunteering outside of work can improve your self-confidence, stave off depression, and even provide you with valuable work experience and contacts in your area of interest.
2. Find Balance
If your job or career is not what you really want, find value and satisfaction elsewhere: in your family, hobbies, or after work interests. Try to be grateful for having a job that pays the bills and focus on the parts of your life that bring you happiness. Having a vacation or fun weekend activities to look forward to can make a real difference to your working day.
3. Learn to Accept Feedback
A skill that will take you far in life is how to graciously accept constructive criticism.
Constructive criticism is often the only way we learn about our weaknesses - without it, we cannot improve. When we are defensive, instead of accepting and gracious, we run the risk of missing out on this important insight.
4. Change Career Paths
If you do not find your work meaningful and fulfilling, it is hard to generate the effort and enthusiasm needed to advance in your job or career. As well as feeling happy and satisfied, you are far more likely to be successful in an occupation that you feel passionate about. Now is the perfect time to get your career on track and find satisfaction in what you are doing.
5. Learn a New Skill
It is always a good time to learn something new. Learning new work skills and strengthening those you already have are critical to your career success and happiness. They increase your self-confidence, make you more employable, and open new career opportunities.
6. Face What Scares You
If someone offers you an opportunity or a challenge, take it. Don't turn it down because it would require more work or energy or requires a little risk. Leap at the big chances and see how far you can go.
7. Get healthy
Eight hours in a chair in front of a computer, five days a week can take a toll on your body. Take breaks to walk, pack healthy food, drink enough water and you will feel better, which will make you a better employee.
8. Become More Organized
Organization is an ongoing project. To achieve success, you may want to pick one or two items that you can become more proactive about. Maybe start a filing system, commit to a system to keep your inbox up to date, or create and follow daily to-do lists.
9. Score That Promotion
It is a great time to stop and evaluate your career. What are you good at? What makes you happy? What areas need work? What skills do you need to obtain to take your career to the next level? Next, build a game plan. The plan can take a year or more but start figuring out what you need to do to make it happen. You cannot always control the results, but you can control putting yourself in the best possible position to receive the rewards you want.
10. Find the Value in What You Do
Even in some mundane jobs, you can often focus on how what you do helps others or provides a much-needed product or service. Focus on aspects of the job that you do enjoy, even if it is chatting with your coworkers at lunch. Changing your attitude towards your job can help you regain a sense of purpose and control.
Building a career is a year-round never-ending process, but why not let the momentum of January help kick-start your success? Here's to a great year!
