11 New Year Career Resolutions Ideas you Need to Know

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With January 1st nearly approaching, which means it's time to commence preparing for the new year ahead. With the year coming to a close, the tradition involves making new year’s resolutions that you want to stick with throughout the year, but for many of us, we’re lucky if we stick to these resolutions until the end of February. But one thing is certain, we should have separate resolutions for our personal and professional life, although these two intertwine and often go hand in hand.

To make sure your career is on track, here are 11 ideas of resolutions you need to try this year:

1. Update and review your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is a free social media platform used by professionals across the world and is key to showcasing your professional and personal brand. Although you may not be seeking a new job, just like your CV it’s important to keep up to date with the latest skills and connections you make. If you’re unsure where to start or how improvements can be made, view your connections or anyone in a comparable industry and look for things that grab your attention or the types of things they are posting to their profile.

2. Find a mentor

There are many benefits linked with career mentoring, that you don’t want to miss out on. From renewed confidence to making fresh connections, mentoring is an exceptional way to not only progress in your career but on a personal level. The right mentor can give you a foot in the door, making you stand out from your competition. A platform such as PushFar is a great place to connect with new mentors in your industry or in a field you're looking to gain experience in. PushFar is completely free for users, with over 65,000+ members on the open network worldwide, you'll soon find your perfect mentor.

3. Say 'yes'

We’re all guilty of turning down opportunities, with a fear of failing or looking silly. This year, say yes to any career opportunities that come your way, no matter how scary they seem. Turning down these experiences withholds you from gaining valuable expertise and can lead you to miss out on skills that could be beneficial during your career. Once you say yes once, you’ll look forward to any opportunities that come your way.

4. Attend a professional event

Networking events are the ideal chance to connect with other professionals in your industry. Although this can seem a daunting experience, you’ll soon gain confidence after attending a few networking events. These specific types of events are vital to keeping up to date with the latest trends in your industry, meeting new connections and learning about new opportunities that could be valuable within your career. If you feel nervous, first start with an online event and work your way up to a networking event in your local area.

5. Read a career book

Reading is a great way to develop your knowledge and understanding of a subject. Whether the book is focused on your specific industry or a completely different field that you're looking to gain more knowledge in, there's no disadvantage to picking up a good book and obtaining new knowledge. Reading a book does take time, so set yourself a goal to read a new book each month if this is better suited to your schedule. Career books are motivating and educational, whilst giving you a new and fresh perspective to lead you on your career journey.

6. Start packing lunch

Food is fuel, so keeping your meals healthy and nutritious is crucial to both your physical and mental health, helping you feel concentrated and energised within the workplace. This is why you should include bringing a healthy lunch to work in your new year's resolutions. Although, sometimes it’s easy to just order something to the office, not eat until you get home or get an unhealthy snack from a vending machine, the long-term effect can be damaging to your health. The night before work, prepare your lunch, this also helps save money and your cherished morning time.

7. Update your CV

When was the last time you looked through your CV? 5 years ago? Is the information still valid? A great and manageable resolution is to scan through your CV and update it, including all your new achievements, skills and roles. Even if you don’t intend on leaving your current role, updating your CV every year or whenever something relevant happens, is a great way to keep track of your professional development.

8. Sign up for a new career blog

Whatever industry you're in, there is a blog out there waiting to be read. Find a blog you like, whether it be career-specific, or focused on building skills, sign-up and follow it this year. Whether you read it once a month, or once a day, learning is something that you should never stop doing. If you are confused about what blog to follow, you can do a quick google search or ask your co-workers for their recommendations.

9. Learn a new skill

No matter how old you are, or what field you are in, it’s never too late to learn a new skill. Thousands of new skills can be learnt that will help you during your career, so why not pick a new one up? Pick one skill you want to learn and set a resolution to learn it this year. From online courses to finding a mentor, there are many ways to help you meet your goal. Learning new skills will not only help you throughout your career but also make you feel accomplished.

10. Clean your workspace

The truth of the matter is that no one can get work done with an unorganised and messy workspace/laptop/phone. This is the perfect way to start the new year and something that everyone should have on their resolution list. Cleaning your desk, removing unnecessary files on your laptop or getting rid of the junk you’ve accumulated throughout the year, will make sure you enter the year with a fresh start. A good clean will motivate you to complete new tasks and minimise your distractions.

11. Improve your work-life balance

Improving your work-life balance shouldn’t have to be a new years resolution, although many people fail to realise the importance it has on both physical and mental health. Are you the type of person that stays late every day? Are you missing out on family events to stay at work? If so, work-life balance is something you urgently need to work on in the next year. It’s crucial to know when to switch off and prioritise your own life, when you deprive yourself of time off, it not only harms your mental health but also your company. Work is important but you also need to take the time to focus on yourself and your own goals.

Conclusion

It’s time to make 2022 the best year of your life. Take time for yourself, focus on your goals and make sure you do everything you can do to develop both personally and professionally. Whether you take one of these ideas on board, or all of them, every resolution you achieve in the new year is the next step to being the best version of yourself.

If you need help with meeting your goals, you can sign up for free to PushFar, the world’s leading mentoring and career profession software, to find a mentor that can help you on your journey.