8 Professional New Year’s Resolutions

2020 has come and gone, with most individuals happy to put the year behind them. More than ever, people are eager to make the new year a great year. But it's one thing to say you'll have a good year, and it's another thing to take the steps to make it a good year. With these workplace New Year’s Resolutions, you can ensure that your career takes a turn for the better this coming year.

1. Start Journaling

One great way to move forward in life is to write down your thoughts. While this can be beneficial to your mental health, it's also useful for your professional career. In the morning, take some time to think about the work day ahead of you. Write down a few thoughts on what your day will look like.

Even if you never look at the paper during the day, the thoughts will remain in your mind. After your day, take five minutes to think about how everything went. Take notes, and you may be able to pick up on ways you can improve your productivity, mood, or interactions.

2. Have Meetings with Your Boss

Your annual performance evaluation isn't the only time you should speak with your boss. Although you might dread interactions with your boss, you should seek them out. Frequent meetings with your employer is the only way to know whether or not you're meeting their expectations.

If you want to advance in the workplace, you need to impress your boss. And there are only two ways you can do this. The first way is to remain on their radar. By getting face-to-face time with your boss, you make yourself unforgettable. When the time for a promotion comes, you could be the first to come to mind.

The other way to move forward with your career is to receive and use constructive criticism. If you don't ask for input, you can't become the employee they want you to be. Even if you can't schedule frequent meetings with your employer, make time to stop into their office with coffee.

3. Connect with Others

It's not uncommon for people to make a resolution to be more social or make more friends. However, this resolution doesn't need to only apply to your social life. If you make an effort to connect more with colleagues and other industry professionals, you may be able to advance your career.

Although you might not have plans to get a new job or seek a promotion this year, your new connections will come in handy. At some point in your career, you will turn to your network for assistance or guidance.

To improve your network, reach out to old friends on social media. Set a goal to have a professional lunch once or twice a month. If you don't already have a strong social media presence, make a resolution to make at least one professional social media account.

4. Get Smarter

No, there is no magic pill that can make you smarter. But there are ways in which you can expand your knowledge to improve your workplace performance or make yourself a more appealing job candidate. You can take online courses to learn more About a subject, attend a conference, or read industry news.

However you choose to expand your knowledge, you can be sure it will help you. If you're not sure how to get started, ask your employer for advice on courses you can take or trainings you can attend.

5. Work on Personal Branding

While you might not realize it, you have a personal brand. When someone in the workplace hears your name, they have an image that comes to mind. This year, make an effort to improve that image.

Improving your brand involves speaking up about your accomplishments. Although you should be sure not to come across as arrogant, mention the things you're proud of. Additionally, strive to come across as more professional than in the years past.

6. Evaluate Your Effort

How much effort do you really put into your work? Whether you're answering phones or taking notes at meetings, you should be putting effort into your daily activities. By giving more effort on a day-to-day basis, you improve your workplace performance.

Write down a list of all your projects or duties. Then, think about the ways in which you can perform them better. Something as simple as a friendly voice on the phone could make you stand out. If you find ways to better your performance, you're bound to impress your employer.

7. Remain Focused

As the year progresses, life will get in the way. No matter how hard you might try to focus on making your resolutions true, you will encounter obstacles. Likewise, regardless of how much effort you want to place into work, you won't always be able to dedicate your time to it.

Because of this, you should make a resolution to maintain your focus. If you start to feel overwhelmed, step back and think about your goals.

8. Prioritize in the Workplace and in Your Home Life

To be successful in your career, you need to prioritize. As the year goes on and the projects pile up, you may start to feel buried under paperwork. But you can overcome that when you organize your tasks by importance.

Sometimes, it's difficult to prioritize. You can always opt to ask your employer what to do. Under most circumstances, your employer won't be upset about your question. In fact, they might appreciate your communication skills.

Don't forget to do the same at home. If you're overwhelmed at home, you're overwhelmed at work. Constantly assess your situation and prioritize your tasks.