As we finish off one year and prepare to start the next, it’s a good time to think about how we want 2017 to be better, which for purposes of this column means a better career. Here are 10 ideas for new year’s resolutions to adopt for a stronger career in 2017:
1. I will stay in touch.
You can start the networking habit with a holiday mailing. You can continue by reaching out in the new year to ask about people’s holidays. You can make additional contacts throughout the year by dedicating your lunch hour to meeting up with people and getting out from behind your desk, or reconnecting with at least one person you don’t see day-to-day. Even if you only do this once per week, that’s 52 chances for staying in touch.
2. I will manage my professional online presence.
You probably already surf your social media platforms of choice to keep in touch personally. From a professional standpoint, you can extend your outreach to a broader network (to help with #1-staying in touch!) and you can post about topics in your industry or functional expertise. You can also update your profiles, including your picture (it needs to look like you do now, not five years ago).
3. I will preserve my focus.
One of the most common obstacles for my clients when reaching for a career goal is the fatigue factor – most are working a hectic, complex day job and feel too depleted to take on something else. Unfortunately, that something else is often what they really should be focused on – the search for a more ideal job, the pursuit of a promotion, the transition to a new career. If this sounds like you, then make 2017 the year you carve out specific time before, during and at the end of each day to take action on your “real” career aspiration, not the one you happened to be assigned to in your day job.
Read seven more career resolution ideas in my Forbes Leadership column: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2016/12/11/need-a-new-years-resolution-10-ideas-for-a-stronger-career-in-2017/#42841a8a3971
