New Year’s resolutions you can keep

I’m not ashamed to say that over the years I’ve contributed to the 1.3 million #newyearnewme tags on Instagram and I doubt that 1 January 2020 will be any different.

The question is, why do we feel the need to start a #newme with the New Year? Is it the same unspoken rule that a diet should always start on Monday? Or is it another corporate scam to get society to spend more under the guise of working towards our new year’s resolutions?

This year I’ve decided I’m not going to jump straight into the generic – exercise more, eat better, take more holidays, save money – resolutions. We are about to move into a new decade and I want the next one to be as amazing as the last. My 2020 resolutions are ones that are going to steer my life on the path I want the next ten years to take.

Do more of what makes you happy.

Do something at least once a week that makes you happy. Go to the beach, the movies, read a book, see live music or out to lunch with friends – anything that gives you a mental break and allows you to really enjoy yourself without thinking about studying or work.

When you’re on the job hunt, look for positions and organisations that align with your values and motivations. You want to find a role that makes you want to go to work in the morning (at least most of the time).

Give back.

This year our team donated $1,500 to three different local charities and as cliché as it sounds, it felt really good going into work on the days where I knew I was meeting the charities to hear how this money would help them. 2020 is my year to give back and really think about where I can make a difference in someone else’s life. While volunteering is an awesome way to give back to the community it is also a keep way to develop key employability skills like teamwork and communication, especially if you don’t have work experience on your resume. There are hundreds of volunteering opportunities on CareerHub, Seek Volunteer, or Go Volunteer. You can also go speak with local charities and ask what volunteer programs you can be involved in.

Learn something new.

This can be related or completely unrelated to your work and study. For me, I’m challenging myself to learn more about an area that will contribute positively to my job by completing the UTS Open ‘Journey through Data’ course, and also something that makes me happy. I recently attended a hand lettering workshop and want to spend time practising and learning how to do this better. I have a tonne of tracing paper and markers ready to go and have big dreams for my 2020 birthday cards and gift tags!

If you’re not sure where to start, think about the industry and roles you want to get into. Are there any gaps in your skills and those that are regularly called for in selection criteria? LinkedIn Learning (previously Lynda.com) is a great resource for students as it has thousands of self-paced learning modules to help develop your employability skills. Whatever you do be sure to include it on your resume, use it to expand your network and add to your elevator pitch.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash