4 Resolutions that can help you succeed in 2016

Around this time of year, fitness centers and gyms are the busiest.  In fact, the volume of gym-goers is 33-50% higher in January than any other month of the year.  It’s not hard to understand why.  Exercise is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions – and it’s also one of the shortest-lived.  By the second week of February, most of the increased volume drops.   
 
While exercising is a great resolution that can help you be happier and healthier – relieving stress and giving you more energy to achieve more personally and professionally, there are four other resolutions that you should make - and commit to keeping.  

​These four resolutions can help you be more successful in 2016:
 

1. Dedicate time each month for learning.  It can be big or small – something entirely new or adding knowledge to an area you already know.  No matter what industry you’re in, new technology, shifting consumer trends and the economy all play roles in operations, product development, sales and marketing.  To remain competitive within your marketplace and successful at your workplace, you need to be a proactive learner.  Take a class, research online or have lunch with someone from a different department.  Some months you may have more opportunities to spend on this than others – just commit to not skipping a month to taking time to learn. 
2. Evaluate goals and progress each month.  Perhaps you believe you’re already doing this because you list stats and accomplishments in a monthly report that you submit to your boss.  But, you also need to evaluate the goals that truly matter to you and that are outside of objectives for bonuses and performance appraisals.  These goals can be personal or professional.  If you haven’t done so recently, take time to list short-term goals (those you want to accomplish in 2016) and long-term goals (those you want to accomplish in the next 2+ years). Monthly evaluations will help you monitor your progress and provide more opportunity to pinpoint areas that are helping you or keeping you from reaching your goals. ​
3. Find a way to be happy at your job – or leave.  Life is short and over one-third of it is spent at work.  So, if there’s something about your job that you don’t like, find a way to change it or make it more tolerable.  If it’s a big negative that will not change, then find a way out.  We’re most successful when we enjoy what we’re doing.  If you’re consistently unhappy at your job, you’re likely to also impact the morale of those around you.  While no job is perfect, in the long run, there should be more pros than cons.  If season after season, you’re dreading to go to work, you need to evaluate why and resolve to take steps to change it.  
4. Ask for feedback and accept it when it comes.  We all have the tendency to either be our own worst critic or best supporter.  Every person that wants to be more successful should find people they trust and ask for honest feedback.  Ideally, you’ll be able to collect one-on-one feedback from a small group of people – those that are your co-workers, friends, family and even your boss.  The feedback that you collect from others can be used to help you with the three other resolutions that are mentioned above.  Use the advice and responses that you receive along with your own evaluations to help you identify ways that may make you happier at your job, help you learn and reach your goals.   

The four resolutions mentioned in this article are those that can help employees in all professions.  Break Ice Marketing specializes in helping organizations increase sales, gain more leads and reach more customers through strategic branding and marketing.  Contact us if you’d like help in creating and fulfilling resolutions in these more specific areas. 
 
We wish all readers a successful and prosperous 2016!