Those who know me won’t be surprised that I’m not a big proponent of New Year’s Resolutions.
It’s not that I don’t believe that eating healthier, exercising more, quitting smoking, etc. aren’t good things – they absolutely are – it’s just that taking them on as part of a grand “New Year, New Me” plan is fraught with obstacles and opportunities to feel dejected about your progress. In fact, the challenges are so large that one study found that 23% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions abandon them by the end of the first week and almost half have given up on them by the end of January.
So, with that in mind, I’m not going to suggest you make resolutions for 2024. Instead, I’m going to strongly encourage you (just short of begging) to make a personal/professional development “To Do” list. The biggest difference is that I don’t care if you start crossing the items off on January 1st. You can start today, or you can start 6 months from now; the most important thing is that you start.
- Increase Your Professional Skills
Pick one skill that would benefit you in your current job, or get you ready for your next position, and make a plan to improve it. Is there a software program that you wish you were better at using? Would your work life be easier if you had a better understanding of finance and accounting? Identify something that you would like to be better at and start working on it.
- Learn Something New… Just For Fun
Flower arranging. Woodworking. Playing the guitar. Learning a new language. What’s that “thing” that you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? Sign up for a class, watch some videos, ask someone to teach you. Learning fires up different parts of the brain (combining it with a skill that requires physical activity is even better) and developing new skills creates a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
- Do Something Selfless
Volunteer at your local food bank or library. Help your elderly neighbor with their yardwork. Find something to do for others that is meaningful to you. Kindness creates a sense of belonging and purpose and makes the world a better place. As an added bonus, volunteering is a proven way to build your personal and professional networks and develop leadership skills.
- Do Something Selfish
Make time to take care of yourself. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, and often it can’t be. Even if it’s just 15 minutes for a walk, or to listen to your favorite music, or to really enjoy your lunch, make sure you are devoting time to you.
- Focus on Relationships
Strong relationships are the foundation of both personal and professional well-being. No one can be, or should be, expected to do everything on their own. I’m not talking about “networking” but about developing stronger relationships based upon really understanding who the other person is. Over the next few months, identify at least one person from each of the following groups and make an effort to improve/develop the relationship you have with them.
- Someone in your life that you’d like to have a stronger relationship with. The team member, boss, customer, whoever, that you’d like to know better.
- A new relationship. A mentor or coach. The new neighbor. Someone from a different industry, community or social circle who will help you broaden your view of the world.
- Someone you want to reconnect with. A former friend, coworker, or classmate who you’ve lost touch with but who still puts a smile on your face when you think about them.
A couple of final thoughts…
Take some time to think about what you’d like your life to look like a year from now. The journey is much easier if you have an idea of where you want to go.
Progress is progress. Starting the items on the above list can be even more important than completing them.
Marco's Leadership Institute 