The most common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking, volunteer to help others, save more money, and manage stress. However, not a lot of people think about their careers when making these adjustments. There are several areas of improvement that are beneficial to focus on—they will boost your career advancement potential and overall work morale. Use the New Year as a time to start fresh. You’ll still have time to focus on your personal goals if you effectively manage your time. Here are the top 5 New Year’s resolutions for the workplace.
1.) Better Communication
It depends on the job, but usually communication is an important skill that can have a significant impact on your career. Many workers struggle with communication, and it limits their career prospects. Focus on verbal and nonverbal communication. Get better at speaking with clients and managers, and become a better writer for emails, correspondence, or other forms of written communication. Every company needs great communicators, because it helps with customer relations, vendor contact, and overall business relations. It’s also an excellent way to advance within an organization. Excellent communicators usually go a long way if they pair these skills with great work ethic.
2.) Set Realistic Goals
Often time’s workers bite off more than they can chew. It’s understandable—other priorities arise and projects can get pushed to the back burner. However, you should work to prevent this from happening. Have a realistic scope of every project you work on and plan for interruptions or the potential for more urgent priorities. Goals should always be within reach and realistic. You should still strive to exceed them, but make sure your expectations are accurate. If you focus on achieving goals that are unreachable, it will only lead to frustration and confusion. Be as efficient and effective as possible.
3.) Learn a New Skill
A lot of companies offer employees the ability to advance within the organization. Don’t wait for it to happen. Figure out where you want to be later down the road and do everything in your power to get there. Start learning on your own—become a self-taught expert. If there is a certificate or degree associated with the skill, then start working towards it. When managers see that you are serious about learning all you can, it reflects positively in not only your career advancement potential, but also your paycheck at the end of every week. Go-getters stand the best chance of being successful. Join the club and start grinding. Nothing comes easy, and promotions are no exception.
4.) More Time For You
Most salaried jobs in America require 40+ hours per week. Some employees work a lot more than this depending on the role. This translates to early mornings and late nights in the office. Set aside some time for you. Work-life balance is a key factor in career longevity. When you are on the clock, work as hard as you can. Give your company your all. Even though the economy is improving and more jobs are being created, there are still millions of Americans who are jobless. Consider yourself lucky and let it reflect in your productivity. However, after you finish up your daily responsibilities and priorities, try to get your mind off the job. You’ll survive much longer in your current role if you schedule in some fun activities after work hours.
5.) Volunteer Your Time
Volunteering doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. You can even take your skills and knowledge you’ve gained in the workplace and use them to help others. Volunteering your time and helping your community will boost your reputation and reflect positively on whichever organization you are associated with. Serve on a committee, coach a team, mentor the youth, or donate money to your favorite organization. Giving back to those in need is an excellent move. People need your help.
Matthew Welch
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