Job Advice Blog

As January draws to a close, many of us are beginning to forget all the promises we made to ourselves at the start of it. Vows to get ahead in life are dropping like gym memberships in February, our New Year’s resolutions are dying out as we realize we do not have the resolve needed to keep them.
This usually happens because we have unrealistic expectations, we set up unreasonable and specific goals that we fail to accomplish. But let’s not give up yet! As January closes we are going to re-open our thought on what it means to make a New Year’s resolution.
At the heart of every resolution there is a desire to improve. If we say we are going to go to the gym thrice a week, we want to improve our physical fitness. If we say we are going to send out 10 resumes a week, we want to improve our drive to get a job. If we say we are going to read more, we want to improve the role of learning in our life. Every resolution has an underlying goal, and the tasks are merely a path towards that goal. 
Instead of having a to-do list of all the things you want to do, try skimming it down to 2-3 over-arching goals. “This year I want to learn more, and get healthier” or “this year I want to get better at self-motivation, make money, and learn a new skill.” Once you have a list like this, your options open up like the skies on the East Coast. You don’t have a set task list, but a small list of over-all goals, that can be achieved through a variety of methods.
From here a list of productive tasks should be made. Write down all the things that you do to learn (reading books, watching documentaries, talking to experts, listening to podcasts etc.), all the ways that you can improve your health (bike to work, quit smoking, go to the gym, take a walk after dinner, etc.), then do the one that sounds best to you that day. This way you can begin to realize your over-arching goal, while still leaving yourself options to do something you enjoy. 
From there all you need is some form of accountability. An accountability partner is a great tool, someone else in your life who is working on their own program of self-improvement. Having someone who not only understands what you are doing, but is doing something similar themselves, does wonders for keeping on track. 
If you don’t know anyone who is doing anything similar, use a calendar. Buy a paper calendar, put it on your wall, and cross off every day that you keep up with your good habits. Being able to see your progress will make you feel the impact of your actions much more quickly, your brain will reward you for your hard work.
If you have been lapsing on your resolutions, don’t fret. Everyone lapses on their resolutions. If you take this advice, and rework the framework of the resolution, you’ll find it a bit easier to keep on track. It’s not about what you’re doing, it’s about where you’re headed- so if you keep the goal in front of the task, you will be amazed at how easy it can be.