The new year has arrived and resolutions have become the center of attention for many people. New Year’s resolutions can widely vary from eating healthier to cutting back on unhealthy behaviors, or maybe even just making an effort to start flossing every day! While most of us set resolutions and want to keep them throughout the year, few people actually find success in keeping their resolutions beyond the first few weeks of the year. In fact, as much as 80% of people drop their resolutions by the second week in February — but we’re here to help you see it through.
The challenges of life can get in the way and distract you from your resolutions, especially in the workplace where it may be hard to make changes to your schedule and stay on track throughout the day. In this post, we take a look at strategies you can use to make sure you not only implement your resolutions effectively, but also ensure you keep them beyond the first few months of the new year.
1. Small changes, big impact
An easy mistake to make when setting New Year’s resolutions is trying to make changes that are too drastic. Setting attainable yet aspirational resolutions sets you up for success and helps you make progress towards your resolutions in a healthy manner.
When resolutions call for big changes, it becomes tough to see incremental progress and leads to feeling discouraged. If you want to keep your resolutions throughout the year, make sure they’re reasonable and achievable. Small changes are much easier to keep in a busy and ever changing environment like the workplace. The American Psychological Association suggests implementing this step by making one change at a time, instead of making various changes all at once.
2. Set resolutions vs. goals
It’s easy to confuse goals with resolutions, especially when you’re setting professional resolutions. So what’s the difference?
A goal comes with specific objectives and a deadline. While goals can be a great way to make sure you are successful, goals are not meant to improve or change behaviors within your life. For example, a goal would be to increase monthly revenue by 10%, whereas a resolution can be to cut out sugar from your diet. Goals are short-lived and are meant to drive results in the near immediate future. A resolution on the other hand, tends to be more personal to you and is aimed at changing the behaviors and actions in your life. Think of it this way: a goal only achieves momentary change, while a resolution produces long-term change.
3. Set professional resolutions
Resolutions don’t need to be personal, they can also have professional intent. Professional resolutions are more common than you may think, as 22% of people have made it their resolution to learn a new skill. Other examples of professional resolutions are to improve your communication skills and be more open with your stakeholders, or to work for an employer that invests into your professional growth.
Notice that there is no deadline or clear measurable objectives in a resolution, there is more of an intended change in behavior. Setting professional resolutions can also help you make a conscious effort to keep positive behaviors and be more mindful of them throughout the workday.
4. Appealing, realistic, specific
It’s in your best interest to pick New Year’s Resolutions that make the most sense and not ones that will likely be broken within the first weeks in the new year. The most successful resolutions are the ones that have these three characteristics: appealing, realistic, and specific, according to ZipRecruiter.
Appealing: Your resolutions should be something that you sincerely want to accomplish and improve on. Resolutions can be related to a hobby or interest, but ultimately, something that you are interested in. Your resolutions should be based on something you personally want to work out, not what you feel you should be doing.
Realistic: Setting a resolution to run a 6-minute mile when your current time is 14 minutes may sound great and get you fired up, but is it realistic? In the workplace, resolutions that are too ambitious can set you up for failure and disappointment. Make sure that your resolutions push you to implement better behaviors, but are still achievable and reasonable.
Specific: Vague resolutions make it hard to track progress and measure success. Set a specific resolution that can help you track how you’re progressing towards your goal.
5. Enlist others to keep you accountable
A great way to make sure that you’re accountable for your New Year’s resolutions is to share your resolutions with coworkers. By doing this your coworker can hold you accountable for your progress and will help you make sure that you stick to your positive habits at work. Additionally, they can also check in on your progress and support the changes you are making towards your resolutions.
Asking for help can even help you manage the stress that stems from managing your resolutions and develop resilience. There is nothing wrong with asking for help from family members, friends, and even coworkers, so don’t be afraid to share your resolutions with others and ask them to help you stay on track. You may even find that another person has a similar resolution as you and can be your partner in achieving it.
Don’t stress, stick to the plan
Keeping your New Year’s resolutions doesn’t need to be stressful, especially when it comes to implementing them in the workplace. By following the tips mentioned above, you will take the necessary steps to making sure that you execute on your resolutions and keep them throughout the year without the stress of the changing habits in the new year.
No matter what your resolutions are, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to think about the improvements that you’d like to make, and even start considering your long-term career plan! Whether you’re looking for a new job where you can start sharpening your sales skills, or you want to finally start making a career out of your coding hobby, Yelp offers endless opportunities. Check out our career openings and start your path to your #FiveStarCareer today!
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