Welcome back! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas break and New Year's Eve.
Have you made some good, challenging resolutions for 2016? Don't worry if not; there's still time!
Recruiter Pro Tip. There are 2 things you should consider when creating a New Year's resolution... 1. It should be personal to you. There's really no point giving up sugar if you only have the occasional chocolate bar anyway! 2. It should be achievable. There's even less point trying to give up everything at once; is quitting smoking, drinking & TV really going to be achievable this year? (Fair play if so!)
Of course, your resolutions also don't necessarily need to be about your health.
So with that in mind, I've come up with a list of 7 great New Year's resolutions that you could (still) be making this year, focussing on your career and generally helping you to become more successful.
1. Be More Productive.
We all procrastinate sometimes... but there are limits!
So if you think you're guilty of putting things off, getting distracted and such, then why not make productivity your resolution?
There are plenty of ways to achieve this goal and to use your time more efficiently - click here to see just some of them.
2. Read More
It can be pretty easy to just get home from work and plonk yourself down in front of the telly - especially with easy access to things like Netflix!
But, why not use that time more proactively?
You could set aside an hour or so to read a book; or even better, an industry-related book which will help to boost your knowledge, skills and ultimately career.
Your boss and/or potential employers are bound to be impressed! And you'll become more competent and better at what you do!
3. Learn Something New
In the same vein, why not challenge yourself to learn something new?
It really doesn't have to be work related - is there a language you'd like to speak or a sport you'd like to try? - and working hard to achieve something new will make you feel great!
If you're a particularly busy person, you could even do something ultra productive like learn on the way to work (via audio CD if you're driving).
4. Volunteer
Altruism feels great. It's a fact.
So, why not do something worthwhile for your fellow human (or animal) this year?
You'll gain new skills and knowledge, it'll look great on your CV and along with that warm and fuzzy feeling, you'll also feel great for achieving something - win-win-win.
5. Have Some Techno-Downtime
Step away from the mobile phone...
Are you one of those people who, whenever you've got a second or two, can't help but pull out your phone/ tablet?
Why not give yourself a break from technology and do something more useful with the time?
Read a book, learn a language (see above)... whatever it is, just make it more productive than having a quick scroll through Facebook!
6. Find a New Job
You spend most of your life at work.
If you're not happy, then you should seriously consider looking for a new job in 2016 (this careers blog can help you with that).
Don't procrastinate and put it off... updating your CV is the hardest step, everything gets easier from then on.
(Alternatively, consider what it is that you don't like about your job and have a think about ways you could improve the situation.)
7. Be Healthier (Not Just to Lose Weight)
Now, this is obviously a really, really popular New Year's resolution, especially because we tend to over-indulge over the Christmas holiday but you could extend your health-food resolution to your mind, as well as your body!
Certain superfoods (highlighted in this previous blog) contain ingredients known to boost brainpower, productivity and energy.
And the best thing is; they're not all just boring fruit and veg!
Made a New Year's Resolution Yet?
Are you worried you might not be able to stick to your resolution? Can't handle the inevitable failure?
You're not to only one! Scarily 63% of people admit to breaking a New Year's resolution in the past (and that's only the ones who admitted it) and 66% of those people said it was within a month!
Perhaps you could do with some back up?
Check out this article from NHS Choices, with some easy but important tips for successfully reaching your goals.
If you'd like some more tips on how to supercharge your career in 2016, then subscribe to this blog to receive a short weekly update with the latest news and advice from us!
