Did you know that 80% of people will break their New Year’s resolution this month? Don’t believe me, then see this article from Business Insider, 80% of people failing New Year’s resolutions by February.
We here at HealthHires would like to help you beat those odds, by helping you to make small and achievable career goals for 2019. When making goals it’s best to focus on completing the smaller task that makeup the entire goal.
As the old saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time”. That is how you are going to achieve your career resolutions in 2019.
Before we can talk about how to successfully succeed at your career resolutions, we need to stop and make a few resolutions:
1. Grow Your Network
Before you say, “I hate networking” and move on to the next resolution, remember that there are plenty of ways to make new connections. You can go to a conference, ask former co-workers and their new co-workers out to happy hour, or, my favorite join some new LinkedIn groups. Be brave and step outside the box when selecting groups, don’t stick to groups that are just career or industry related. You never know when a new connection may come in handy.
At minimum, take the time to join HealthHires. HealthHires is a social networking & growth platform that focuses on the career advancement, relationship building, and personal development of healthcare professionals. We do this by creating an empowered community where healthcare professionals, regardless of location or backgrounds, can engage in discussions with like-minded peers, find employment opportunities without settling, and can connect to personal & professional growth content.
Just click here to join us.
2. Stay healthier at work
We spend a lot of time at work, matter of fact 1/3 of our life is spent at work. So, consider what you can do for your health while you’re there. Make your office life healthier, one choice at a time. Use your vacation time (PTO) and make sure you really recharge on your days off, which includes taking needed sick days. Even the busiest professionals can make small workplace wellness changes that will make their time at the office a little healthier.
3. Start Volunteering/Volunteer More
Volunteering is a great way to positively impact your community. Find a cause that is meaningful to you and sign up to help. If you really want to go above and beyond, work with someone at your office to get your company to sponsor a day of service.
Wondering where to volunteer? Your social media profiles may be a good place to start. Follow non-profits in your area to see if they need assistance. You can also visit volunteer matching websites like, VolunteerMatch.com.
4. Ask for a raise
If you believe you’re either underpaid or you haven’t gotten a boost in quite some time, you’ll need to ask for a raise directly. Don’t worry, if you’re willing to ask, there’s a good chance you might get it. PayScale.com reports that 70% of people who ask for a raise, will get some type of increase. So, do your research to see what the going rate is for your job title in your city, and make a case for more money. A website like PayScale.com is a great place to start your research.
5. Take time to reflect on 2018
Look back on last year and think about everything you learned about your profession and yourself. Maybe you acquired a new skill; perhaps you figured out that you’re extremely good at something; or you lost your job and now it’s time to think about pursuing a whole new career. Whatever happened to you last year, spend some time considering how what you learned can help you improve yourself.
Alright, now that we have worked out a few top-notch resolutions. Let’s discuss the ways to be successful.
Don’t worry about doing everything on this list at once. Instead pick one of the five resolutions and break it into small task. For example, let’s look at staying healthier at work. There are several smaller tasks, that you can build upon that all add up to being healthier at work. Such as,
- Using your smart watch to help you move more
- Joining/creating a walking club during lunchtime
- Not eating at your desk
- Practicing mindfulness by reading/listening to a book on your commute
- Going on a weekend vacation once a quarter
- Taking a 10-minute walk during your lunch break
- Packing your lunch one day a week
By looking at the actual task like humid door wipe that need to be completed versus the actual entire goal itself, you will be able to start to actively work on each resolution. You may think this way is more complicated, but our brains are wired to avoid stress and fear. Constantly, thinking about the big goal can cause our brains to stress. Instead, start small and do one thing, once you have been successful with that small task, you will naturally want to do something else. For example, if you can bring your lunch one day a week, you can bring your lunch two days a week, then three days a week, next thing you know you are bringing lunch every day. To learn more about forming healthy habits read 1-Minute Habits, by Raghib Ahmed.
If you want to know how everyone else has kept up with their resolutions? Join of our HealthHires groups now!
Kay Allen
Content Writer, HealthHires.com
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