New Year Career Resolutions

Posted in : HR Updates on 10 January 2022
Olga Pollock
firmus energy
Issues covered: New Year Resolutions; Career Goals

As we step into another brand-new year, many of us will set New Year’s Resolutions with great intentions to accomplish personal goals such as weight loss or increased exercise. It’s great to make resolutions but often they can be unrealistic and have fizzled out by Valentine’s Day. Why not take some time to think about your career aspirations for the year ahead that are achievable and can make an impact?

Here are some ideas for consideration:

1. Improve Your Health At Work

We spend so much time at work that it makes sense that we should think about how we can be healthy while we’re there. Exercises that reduce the risks associated with sedentary working such as ankle rolls or getting up and stretching every hour will greatly improve your circulation and overall health. Even better if you can use a stand-up desk and switch between sitting and standing or swap your chair for an exercise ball. Get outside for a brisk walk at lunchtime when you can and swap the lift for the stairs. Word of caution regarding the exercise ball; make sure you get one that doesn’t explode. This happened to a work colleague of mine years ago. One minute he was busily working at his workstation, the next he was lying flat on the floor after his exercise ball exploded. I’ll never forget the noise that thing made!

2. Learn a New Skill

You don’t have to embark on an MBA or IoD Diploma to enhance your knowledge base. There are so many new skills that could make a positive impact on our working lives. For me I could really benefit from learning how to touch type so I could minute meetings and interviews much more efficiently and accurately. It’s never too late to learn a new skill and it’s definitely not something you’ll regret.

3. Read an Inspiring Book

I recently read Bonus Time by Dublin-born Brian Pennie. In this incredibly honest and inspirational account of drug addiction and recovery to author, speaker, PhD candidate, university lecturer, and life-change strategist, Brian tells the story of how he transformed his seemingly hopeless existence into a rich rewarding life. His story demonstrates how we all have the power to be better versions of ourselves despite the challenges.

If you’re looking for a career-focused read in the field of HR, I would recommend Barry Phillips & Jayne’s Gallagher’s co-written book, Mastering Small Business Employee Engagement. In this you will find 30 quick wins and HR hacks that will help your organisation achieve higher levels of employee engagement and improved business performance.

4. Seek Out Opportunities in Work That Will Enhance Your Experience

Often we get so caught up in our day-to-day job that it becomes difficult to think of our longer term professional development let alone find the time to devote to new opportunities. But making time will be investment well spent whether it is an internal project or initiative or an external volunteering commitment.

5. Declutter Your Workspace

There’s nothing worse than coming back into the office after the Christmas break to tinfoil and festive decorations. Once these are tied away it is a good idea to look at your physical and electronic files and start to delete anything that you don’t need any more. It also ticks the GDPR tick box when you’re also deleting data that falls outside retention periods.

There are many ways in which we can achieve more career goals from taking up volunteering to attending more networking events or updating our LinkedIn profile. By setting goals we give our careers direction and focus and in turn we enjoy greater job satisfaction and self-esteem.

It can also help set us up for our next career move but the most important thing is that our goals are realistic and achievable otherwise they’ll likely fall by the wayside along with our great intentions of stopping eating out or going to the gym every day (well for me anyway!). Happy New Year.

Useful Reading:

Mastering Small Business Employee Engagement: 30 Quick Wins & HR Hacks from an IIP Platinum Employer  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Small-Business-Employee-Engagement-ebook/dp/B082P4RBTN

Bonus Time https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085RDZ6PW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Exercises to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort for people doing a range of static and repetitive work https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr743.pdf

 

This article is correct at 10/01/2022
Disclaimer:

The information in this article is provided as part of Legal-Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article.

Olga Pollock
firmus energy

The main content of this article was provided by Olga Pollock. Contact telephone number is +44 (0)79 7389 3448 or email oppollock@firmusenergy.co.uk

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