Five New Year’s Resolutions to Jumpstart your Career in 2014
The beginning of the New Year also brings about the creation of countless New Year’s resolutions. The problem most of us face when doing this is that we end up being unsuccessful, whether it’s because we gave up on it at some point or just completely forgot about it, most new year’s resolutions are never followed through. In this article, we present you with some resolutions that are completly achieveable and that are sure to help jump start your career in 2014.
Number 1: Sleep and Wake Up Early
Experts agree that getting enough sleep, around 7-8 hours, greatly affects your health, your mood and even your love life. These three are all important factors in helping you do well and excel at work. Help facilitate going to bed early by limiting your bedroom only as a place to relax and sleep, don’t bring your laptop with you to bed and move the TV out of the bedroom so you won’t be tempted to turn it on. You could also install a dimmer or change your bedroom lights if they’re too bright. Just doing any or all of these will help sleep better so you can wake up refreshed and ready to take on any tasks. Not only will you be able to do your job better, your boss will also start noticing that you’re in the office earlier than usual and that’s a step in the right direction.
Number 2: Eat Healthy
Just because you have the money to burn doesn’t mean you spend it eating whatever you want. Health plays an important role in helping you deliver whatever it is your company and your boss requires. Making healthy food choices not only helps you look and feel good, it also provides you with the energy you need to work through the week. As an added bonus, eating healthy also helps you handle stress much better and in an insanely competitive corporate world, this is an advantage you definitely need. When you eat healthy, your body receives all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to combat sickness and fight injuries. . Your boss will surely notice the marked improvement in your attendance and will have no second thoughts in recommending you for a promotion because of your reliability.
Number 3: Work Out More
Many of us include working out at one of our top new year’s resolutions, unfortunately, very few of us manage to follow it through. At most, we’re able to do it in a week or two, or in a month tops, and then we just find it too hard to do so we completely forget about it.
The thing is, you don’t need to go to the gym to work out, turning daily routines into a workout activity can actually increase the chance of successfully getting fit and trim. If you did tip number one, you will wake up the next day with just enough time to do an early morning jog. Whether you drive a car or commute, you can park or get off a couple of blocks away from your office and then walk the remaining distance. You can just change into your work clothes when you get to the office so you don’t have to worry about smelling like traffic. You can also work out from behind your desk by standing up, stretching out or simply walking to the pantry or the restroom. Consistency is the key to success and as long as you commit yourself to staying fit and healthy, you won’t be making excuses to skip working out. Similar to the previous tips, working out will help you keep up with any task that’s going to make you look more appealing to the bosses.
Number 4: Widen your Professional Network
Never underestimate the power of building your professional connections. If you have been putting it on the sidelines for a while then it’s time you finally focus on widening your professional network. You can start by updating your LinkedIn profile. Set aside around 15-30 minutes per week to look around and join groups and organizations that can help you meet potential contacts. If you like to take a more traditional approach, the best place to start is with your college alumni group. You’re more likely to meet college pals who have made quite a name for themselves in a field you might be interested in. Take the opportunity to catch up while building a strong connection with people who can help bring you places. Remember though that networking is a two-way street, you have to give as much as you take so it’s good to work on an approach that is mutually beneficial to both of you and the person you are trying to connect with.
Number 5:Improve your Office Relationships
The most effective approach to jumpstarting your professional career is through improving your relationship with the people you work with. Your relationship with your boss plays an important role in helping you get that promotion so start building it by maintaining an open communication. Catch up with your boss to talk about your performance and ask about how you can further improve it. Be attentive to your boss’ needs so you can assist them whenever you can, your boss is sure to notice and the likelihood of you being passed up for a promotion is highly unlikely.
Your boss is not the only person you need to focus on; you also need to think about your co-workers. While you can’t always have a good working relationship with everyone in the office, always be ready to extend a helping hand. You are one team and your performance will always be measured as an individual and as a team player.
While all this may look easy, you would need to keep your focus for the next 360 days. As the year unfolds, events, activities and other personal challenges may cause you to lose sight of these resolutions and forget about them entirely. Remind yourself of your goals constantly by writing it down on your planner or setting up an email alert. As you follow through on these resolutions. Repeatedly, you will reach a certain level where you no longer need constant reminding.
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