Published December 28, 2020

Professional new year’s resolutions you can actually stick to

 

Cast your mind back to New Years Eve 2019, where times were a little simpler and you felt full of hope for the year ahead. What New Year’s resolutions did you set yourself? We wouldn’t blame you if those good intentions to start a new hobby or get fit quickly went out the window when the pandemic descended. 2020 has been turbulent, to say the least, so sticking to resolutions probably wasn’t at the top of anyone’s list. That being said, it’s even more reason to set yourself manageable new years resolutions to kick the new year off with a positive mindset. 

 

Expand your network

With less time in the office and physical networking events off the cards for 2020, many of us have felt disconnected from others. One of the best ways you can network from home is to take part in a  Virtual Roundtable. Of course, you can expand your network by reaching out to others in your industry by sending a message on LinkedIn, but this virtual format has given business professionals the platform to network face to face and have meaningful discussions with others. This engagement brings with it opportunities to expand your network and connect with like-minded individuals in your industry while learning from each other. So, keep engaging with others on LinkedIn but also take the time to get involved in a Virtual Roundtable to create more meaningful connections. 

 

Communicate more frequently and effectively with your team 

Statistics show that 57% of employees report not receiving clear communication from their managers and a shocking 69% of managers don’t actually feel comfortable communicating with their teams. Lack of communication is not only one of the biggest pet peeves of employees but it can lead to project and tasks not being completed effectively. 

Make checking in with your team a priority every day. The easiest way to do this is to dedicate a time every day or at the start of every week to catch up and invite employees to raise any concerns or questions they may have and ask them to provide an update on what they’re working on and the tasks they have for that day/week.

This communication doesn’t have to be exclusive to work tasks, especially when working from home. Without those daily water cooler and lunchroom conversations employees can feel disconnected from their team and managers. Companies like Google and General Assembly have introduced virtual coffee morning catch-ups where employees will be invited to a video call with random colleagues to discuss anything they wish, non-work related. Introducing an informal catch up of this nature a few times a month can really help you connect with your employees and it also reinforces the notion that your door is always open for them to communicate with you.  

 

Broaden your mind

Learning and developing skills is always a good thing and if working from home has taught us anything its that our minds need to be stimulated to stay on track. A lack of a commute for most of us now also means we have a little more time in the day and while it’s easy to have an extra hour in bed or slump on the sofa after we finish work we can use this new time to engage in professional development. This doesn’t always mean signing up for a time-consuming course or spending hours studying. Simply reading a book or article related to your industry or listening to a podcast on a professional topic of interest can broaden your mind and spark new ideas and ways of working. Taking the time to open your mind to learning doesn’t have to be time-consuming and learning this way is, most importantly, sustainable. 

At the end of every week note down one thing you have learnt and something you would like to learn more about next week. Click here to learn more about engaging in professional development while working from home.   

 

Work on your online personal brand

In a time where anyone in the world can look you up in a few clicks, it’s important to develop a strong personal brand as a business professional. We’re not suggesting you become a social media influencer but instead curate content that reflects your professional values and celebrates the good work you do. LinkedIn is the best platform to do this professionally and once you get into the routine of posting and engaging in content it’ll become second nature. Start by engaging with the content of others, commenting on posts and sharing interesting content. Then you can start curating your own. Make sure you follow the big names in your industry and share their content that reflects your professional values and share the good work that you and your team do. 

 

Revisit your resolutions throughout the year to stay on track

We’re all guilty of heading into a new year full of positivity only to lose track of our resolutions by the time the January sales are over. Therefore, it’s a good idea to physically write your resolutions down and revisit them at the end of every month to see if you’ve stuck to them. Write them out at the start of your diary or planner or stick them up on the wall in your office or next to your computer. Seeing your goals every day will help you stay on track and turn resolutions into habits.

Miriam Collett

Media Communications Executive

Inspired Business Media