30 December 2023
Amy Lindgren
Do people still make New Years’ resolutions? I do, although I’ve noticed a change over the past few years. Instead of a longer list of self-challenges, I’ve gone to shorter, more amorphous goals. You know — things like, “Be kinder” and “Stress less.”
Well, that’s kind of embarrassing. Did the pandemic shift me from being a go-getter into someone just trying to get through the day? Not that getting through isn’t a worthy goal. Sometimes it’s nearly more than we can manage. But this year I’m determined to break out of the sleep-walk I’ve been in, and push for something a bit more productive in my goal-setting.
If you want to join me, I’ve adapted one of my long-ago lists to provide 25 options in each of three categories: job search, career development and personal management. The 75 resolutions range from small adjustments to major projects; by choosing five in each category, you’ll have a decent set of challenging but achievable goals for 2024.
Job Search Resolutions
1. Set weekly goals and hold myself accountable
2. Get out of the house for meetings
3. Join a support group
4. Find a coach or counselor to help improve my process
5. Rely less on online job boards
6. Stop applying for “maybe” jobs
7. Build a target list of companies to contact directly
8. Ask for meetings with potential employers
9. Take part-time work in the interim
10. Consider temporary and contract options
11. Organize my process better
12. Create a work space for the search
13. Research more before each interview
14. Make a web site or portfolio
15. Explore retraining to improve my prospects
16. Improve / consider using social media
17. Set up a LinkedIn page
18. Stay current with networking contacts
19. Stop venting to my networking contacts
20. Make use of government workforce centers
21. Learn to brag about my strengths
22. Stop worrying about how the last job ended
23. Push past my comfort zone
24. Focus on building resilience and a thicker skin
25. Move to Plan B if Plan A doesn’t work in a reasonable timeframe
Career Development Resolutions. In the new year I vow to…
1. Make a plan for the next 12 months of my career
2. Set quarterly goals
3. Find a mentor
4. Ask for new assignments at work
5. Negotiate a raise or promotion
6. Explore training and tuition reimbursement
7. Consider starting a business
8. Learn a fallback skill
9. Join a professional association
10. Read books and newsletters in my field
11. Learn new software
12. Join or lead a committee
13. Get out of non-productive committees
14. Strengthen my writing skills
15. Learn to give presentations
16. Invent or improve something at work
17. Network once a week
18. Build my expertise
19. Speak up more at meetings
20. Listen more at meetings
21. Build bridges to difficult co-workers
22. Find new work if it’s time
23. Spend an afternoon planning for retirement
24. Declutter my work space
25. Update my résumé
Personal Management Resolutions. In the new year I vow to…
1. Set goals for the year
2. Improve my sleep habits
3. Cut back on frustrating commutes and other time-wasters
4. Remove a stressor
5. Do what scares me
6. Stop procrastinating on health issues
7. Have difficult conversations instead of avoiding them
8. Keep saving money /and or reducing debt
9. Finish something I’ve started
10. Quit something I can’t finish
11. Find a hobby
12. Volunteer for something
13. Organize my financial records
14. See my inspiring friends more often
15. Master my digital tools or swap them for something else
16. Take a class for fun
17. Train for something, such as a marathon or music recital
18. Start a blog or keep a journal
19. Revisit my faith
20. Travel somewhere
21. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit, especially for work
22. Declutter something
23. Strengthen my online image
24. Ask for help more often
25. Celebrate each item I accomplish on my lists
Here’s to a happy and productive new year; see you in 2024!
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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at [email protected].