It’s that time of year again; you’re finally getting through the last of the turkey, getting sick of chocolate and you’ve ended up seeing Mary Poppins approximately 5 times during the past two or three weeks. The holiday madness is now starting to lift; we’re beginning to resurface from the depths of our food comas and are just about coming round from the dreamy slumbers that we’ve all had over the Christmas period, so it’s easy to forget that we’ve entered a New Year full of possibilities. Don’t worry, there are many things that you can do to get rid of the haze that has developed over the past few weeks and instead, focus on what you want to achieve this year.
All jokes aside, there’s no time like the present to have a look at where you are and how you’re progressing. The New Year is the most common time for people to start making decisions about their lives and careers in general so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t either. Whether it’s based around your health, your job, a lifestyle change, taking up a new hobby or whatever, there’s no better time to start looking to better yourself, particularly in the workplace.
- Reflect on the past year
The year end is a great chance to reflect on what you’ve achieved over the past year. Do you feel content? Or do you feel like you not progressed as much as you would have liked to? Whatever your situation, it’s always a good idea to look at what you’ve done and make a generic plan for the upcoming year.
- List what you’d like to achieve
After you’ve reflected on your previous year, it might be a good idea to make a generic list of what you want to achieve in the next year. Whether it’s just a few small things such as eating a bit healthier at work, or not using your phone as much, there are plenty of little things you can aim to do that will help your productivity and organisation. There are other larger things that can be looked at too. One of them being a complete dissection of your career. Ask yourself these questions: are you satisfied about where you are? Do you think you could be doing better? How can you achieve this? Once you’ve got the answers to all of your questions, you can put a plan into place that outlines your hopes and ambitions for the next year. Structuring your plans will really help with the outcome of your year.
If all else fails, follow these few steps on how to make 2019 the happiest and most successful working year you’ve ever had:
- Remember to take a lunch break every single day
Having some time to yourself and taking the time to recharge can really help with your productivity levels. Pull yourself away and have a rest!
- Learn a new skill
It’s never too late to learn a new skill so promising to do so at the beginning of the New Year is a good place to start. Whether it is as simple as getting to know how to use a new application on computers, or whether you learn a whole new career skill, January is the perfect starting point for anyone.
- Don’t be scared to speak up
Another good habit to get into at the beginning of the New Year is to speak up and be more vocal. This is not the easiest of tasks for most people, and understandably so for introverts that are not all that comfortable with vocalising their views. However, the pros of finding a voice far outweigh the cons, and which is why it’s great to step outside of your comfort zone. For example, if you want to take on a challenging new project, then the only way to make this known is to vocalise it. This also goes for if you want more responsibilities, or a pay rise etc. Speak up to get what you want!
- Network!
More and more people are beginning to realise the importance of networking with others. Connecting and developing relationships with others opens the door to many career opportunities, so it’s vital that you try and network as much as you can to have access to these. It might be a little bit scary and intimidating at first, but you soon get used to it and the opportunities and connections you will eventually gain will far outweigh any nerves that you have at the start.
- Remember to give yourself a mental break
2019 is the year of self-care and putting yourself first. While your career might be on a serious rise, don’t forget to give yourself a well-earned break. You not only have to recharge physically but you have to do so mentally as well. Remember, doing this will help you with successes in your career too!
Kick-start your 2019 in the very best way by following these points! No matter whether you just choose to adopt one or all, you’re guaranteed to have a happier working year by making small, positive changes to your routine. Happy New Year and good luck in your endeavours in 2019!
