How to set New Year’s resolutions at work

Woo hoo! It’s a New Year and a new start. You’re back at work feeling refreshed and keen to get a move on.

Why not begin by setting practical resolutions for 2024? What an amazing way to kickstart the next 12 months.

It’s important to remember that setting and meeting New Year resolutions don’t have to be mega exercises. While some involve greater investment, you can knock others off quickly. Some involve ‘hard tasks’ and others ‘soft tasks’.

These straightforward ideas will keep you motivated.

Tidy your workspace

Take a bit of time on your first day back at work to organise your workspace. Clean your desk so it is neat and tidy. Declutter and let go of what you don’t need. Sort out your drawers. Catch up on filing. Personalise your desk (without going over the top) so you feel more at home.

Be more positive

Make a proactive decision to be positive, not negative at work. Avoid office gossip and office politics at all costs. Say thanks when thanks are due. Give credit where credit is due. Ask colleagues how they are and whether they enjoyed their weekend. Take the time to compliment people. Offer to help. Make your workplace a whinge-free zone.

Be proactive and constructive

If operating in a team environment, do your best to make a meaningful contribution. Avoid sitting on the sidelines. Sign up for a task. Be productive and meet deadlines. Pitch creative ideas in a motivating way.

Make new connections

The New Year is a great time to make new connections. Decide if formal networking is the way to go (without stressing yourself out or negatively impacting your work or personal life). If you decide to network, list 3 top opportunities and sign up.

Making new connections needn’t be formal, however. Think about people in your organisation you’d like to network with. This could be colleagues who work in a different area you’d like to get to know. Invite them for a cuppa.

Read more: Networking—Worth the time and effort?

Update your social media platforms

It’s easy to upload a LinkedIn profile and then forget about it. It won’t take long before your profile is stale. Why not start 2024 by updating your profile so it’s fresh and current? Don’t forget to include achievements and volunteer work. Perhaps you’d like to get a new professional headshot.

While you’re at it, you may want to tidy up your Facebook, Instagram and/or LinkedIn pages if you use them for work. Cleansing can include deleting posts you perhaps shouldn’t have posted.

Read more: Do employers look at social media profiles?

Learn, learn, learn

Learning is an amazing way to get energised and improve your professional life and career prospects.

Short courses are as valuable as longer-term educational opportunities. Short courses could, for example, support you to be more efficient with information technology. Perhaps you could learn to be more efficient with Microsoft Office. Longer educational opportunities might be completing an accreditation, starting a degree or gaining a valuable certification.

Read more: Attention employees—never stop learning

Have fun at work

Work shouldn’t always be about the daily grind. Are you a member of the social club? Do you participate in social events? Are you active with team exercises?

Why not think of an activity you and your team can enjoy—even if for a half-hour once a month. Perhaps this can be a celebration of diversity in the office.

Take care of yourself

Commit to self-care through 2024. Decide you’ll go on a short walk at lunch every day, to enjoy the fresh air. When you take breaks (and ensure you do), avoid focusing on work. Flip through a magazine. Check in with friends on social media.

Read more: How to spot and act on work burnout

Commit to work-life balance

We all know about work-life balance. It’s important. The key is to put what we know into practice. Avoid spending your first days back at work burning the midnight oil. Form a new habit and leave the office on time. Enjoy family and friends instead. This can be easier said than done but you’ll form fresh habits with a bit of effort.

Read more: Tips for achieving work-life balance

Being more organised and less stressed often demands top-notch time management. Even if you’re super organised, there’s always new skills to learn. Check out time-tracking apps online. Also explore ways to keep dynamic to-do lists. Build your capabilities with productivity tools. Refine your skills with programs your organisation already has in place.

Read more: How to save time to avoid overtime

Tip

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