The end of January is in sight and it’s quite likely that many new year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Don’t let this deter you however: you can still bring a positive attitude to 2017 in all areas of your life.
When we spend a significant portion of our time at work, it makes sense to have professional resolutions as well as personal ones. Recent research from OfficeGenie.co.uk revealed the top workplace-based new year’s resolutions of British employees; their staff writer, Lilli Hender, discusses the top 5 picks and has some workplace tips for sticking to (or starting) them:
1 ‘Have a better work-life balance’
The number one concern proved to be the all-important work-life balance: 17% of those we surveyed feel they need to re-establish the boundaries between work and home. A brilliant solution to an improved sense of balance can be flexible working. Perhaps work from home one day a week to see if things pick up or opt to work remotely in a cafe one afternoon when you have quieter tasks to complete.
2 ‘Learning something new’
The key to this is to decide what it is exactly you want to learn: you’ll want something that progresses your career, is exciting, and, importantly, is relevant. Research which skills would be useful in your sector and look up courses while you’re at it. That way, when you bring it up with your line manager, you’ll be prepared.
3 ‘Get a pay rise’
Employers love employees who are ready and willing to learn new skills so if you can combine the previous resolution with this one, you’ll be more likely to see success. There are lots of factors affecting a managers decision to hand out a pay rise – recruitment plans, restructuring, long-term business goals, etc – therefore it isn’t always a direct reflection of your input. Continue to work at your best, take on new challenges, and when you feel you truly deserve one, ask! The Telegraph has some handy suggestions on how to go about this.
4 ‘Have healthier work lunches’
It seems people are on a health kick in 2017, planning to swap their lunches for more nutritious alternatives. With healthier food can come more expense and/or more preparation time – however this doesn’t have to be the case. Stuck for ideas? Buzzfeed has a list of 25 go-to healthy lunch recipes ideal for the workplace. If you’re finding a healthy lunch isn’t filling you up, consider bringing snacks too: nuts and cereal bars are a good source of energy and can stop the hunger setting in.
5 ‘Be more organised’
There are a whole range of ways in which you can be more productive, manage your time better and improve your organisational skills. Applications such as Evernote (particularly handy for list making) and Toggl (great for time tracking) can be worth downloading to give you an extra boost. It isn’t always about how many tasks you complete, rather completing them well: ordering tasks by priority can help with this. Acknowledging accomplishments can make you feel more capable of completing the next job so remember to celebrate your achievements!
You’ve got the whole year ahead of you to put into practice your resolutions so don’t feel disheartened if you’ve already had a blip. It can take as little as 21 days to form a habit, so get over the 21-day hurdle and you’ve made it – 2017 might be the best year yet for your career.
This is a guest post from Lilli Hender who writes for OfficeGenie.co.uk: a desk and office space marketplace for freelancers, startups, and SMEs.
