3 resolutions to make 2020 YOUR year

Resolutions. Most of us make them, not many of us keep them. So in keeping with this bit of realism, we’ve come up with three broad resolutions that aren’t toooooo hard to keep for 2020. We’ve even broken it down into three simple categories for you, so you can feel so accomplished when you complete them you may even want to add a few more.

1. Professional goal

The start of a new year is a perfect time to take stock, reflect on where you are and where you want to be, and start thinking of how you want to achieve your goals. So, whether it’s completely changing industries, or simple working on some simple skill building, making a goal to work on your professional-self is always a good idea.

There are a few easy resolutions you could choose to get started on your ideal career journey. The first? Start filling in those blanks in your resume. What skills could you benefit from building, or what areas of your CV feel a little lacklustre? A good way to get started is by researching different job ads in your industry to see what skills employers are actually looking for, and seeing how your skills compete. Any gaps? Then your resolution could be to start filling them.

Another easy resolution doesn’t have to take up more than a day or two of your time out of the entire year. And that is undertaking some extracurricular industry experience and networking! This could take the form of attending a couple of events or workshops throughout the year, signing up for a conference in your field, going along to guest lectures – all things that don’t have to take up too much of your time (or effort) but can help kindle your passion, expand your understanding of your field, and introduce you to a new world of people who could become part of your professional network.

2. Wellbeing goal

While this blog focuses on career success, it’s important to talk about how vital personal wellbeing (mental or otherwise) is – both in terms of productivity and general life satisfaction. According to a US study, businesses in America lose up to $300 billion a year as a result of workplace stress, and only 43% of employees believe their employers care about their work-life balance (x).

In 2020, it’s time to set a resolution and take some of your wellbeing into your own hands. In this regard, your resolution will be largely based on your needs. Feel like you haven’t caught up with your friends enough this year? Organise a recurring catch-up to keep in touch. Physical activity taken a dive in 2019? Sign up for a series of classes with a friend (so they can help hold you accountable).

Whatever it is that’s been either causing you stress, or you’ve been ‘meaning to do’ for months, make it a priority in the New Year. After all, if you’re not doing things that make you happy and keep you healthy, then what’s the point in making a resolution at all?

3. A ‘helping out future you’ goal

A great resolution to make is one that can do early on in the year while motivation is still high, that can kick in and really help later on when things are getting tough. Think of short term resolutions you can make and complete within the first few months of the year, that you can rely on later in the year.

Like updating your resume, for example. While it may only take you an hour or two to add in the extra experience you’ve built up since you last updated it, it could be the helping hand you need later on in the year. Like maybe you come across the perfect job but application deadlines close the same day you find it – that is not the time you’ll be wanting to update your resume from scratch.

Another resolution you could make is to do a shot-term project, like writing a paper on something in your field that interests you, creating an artwork, working on your coding with a friend – something you can sink a week into completing that you can pull out in an interview, add to your portfolio, or teach you skills that could help you later in the year.

While New Year’s resolutions can leave you feeling a bit ‘bleh’, giving yourself easier ones you can smash out quickly is not a cop out – it’s smart, guys! Good luck to you all, and go out and make 2020 your year!

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash