By: Courtney Beam

Do You Make New Year’s (Career) Resolutions?

It’s an ongoing debate for me whether New Year’s resolutions are important or even worthwhile. Join a gym, lose weight, eat better, give up sugar, stop swearing (who’s guilty of this one?!), you know the drill… everyone at some point begins the new year with at least one resolution they don’t intend to break but inevitably do.

I’m certainly guilty of this, so I’m tossing my New Year’s resolution-making aside and instead I’m spending some time reflecting on my career and a few 2018 GOALS that I would like to work towards instead. This is something that can and should be done throughout the year, but why not start 2018 off right with a revived and re-energized career?

• Reflect. Treat yourself to lunch or coffee alone, or even just get out of your office to reflect. Write down a list of what you love about your current job and what you’d like to change. This is an easy way to think openly about where you’re at in your career and if you should make a change. If you’re happy where you’re at, are there opportunities to dig deeper into your current job? If you find that you aren’t as happy as you’d like to be, plan a course of action to a promotion or a new opportunity.
• Invest in yourself. Is there something that you’ve identified that would take your career to the next level? Whatever it is, invest in it to propel yourself forward this year. Some ideas could be taking a time management course, furthering your formal education, attending a conference in your industry or investing in a leadership coach.
• Refresh your resume. Whether you’re looking for a job or not, it’s always a good idea to have your resume fairly current. You never know when an opportunity may present itself for a career move or perhaps a board position. Reflect on the last year and some of your most note-worthy accomplishments and then add them to your resume.
• Write down your goals. Write down two or three goals that you would like to achieve in 2018 that are attainable, and perhaps one larger goal that may be more difficult to reach. These can be a mix of personal and professional. This is a way to keep focused, especially as you get busier throughout the year.

What other tips do you have for refreshing your career this year? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.