The start of a new year brings to mind for most of us new resolutions and goals. While nearly everyone can benefit from making changes at both a professional and personal level, a reflection of last year’s professional work is often glossed over. Even though we start a new year, many of us are still beating the same old drum, the same rhythm, the same routine.
Old habits are hard to break, even for the most efficient and productive of us. The first step in breaking free from those patterns is taking an honest reflection on your work habits and truthfully recognizing and admitting that there is something to be improved upon.
Reflect on the past year. Take a thorough look at the good and the bad. What did you do successfully? Where did you fall short? Discern both your good and bad habits and observe how your actions and behaviors in the past year helped or hindered you.
Once you’ve pinpointed both the positive and the negative, work on enhancing your good habits and efficient processes. If certain routines have worked for you in the past, there is no need to necessarily change them, but there is always room for improvement to ensure you reach your new goals and objectives.
On the flip side, once you have recognized your bad habits, routines, and processes, swap them out for good ones. If time management and procrastination is something you struggle with, work on making daily to-do lists to hold yourself accountable.
Take this start of the new year to challenge yourself. Reflect on the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, and set some goals to help you break those habits. Make this change a top priority, get in the right mindset, and hold yourself accountable. Focus on the day-to-day versus the longevity of the challenge (the big picture can be incredibly daunting depending on what you want to change), set milestones, and reward yourself when you hit those milestones.
Setting resolutions in the workplace doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. When you shift from bad habits to good, succeed throughout the process, and finally reach your end goal, the rewards and feelings of accomplishment far outweigh the challenge of getting there.
Recent Comments