Tips on Creating Practical Resolutions — and Getting Them Done!  

New Year Resolutions – always a hot topic. Do they work? Can we stick with them? And how helpful are they, really? The answers are yes, they work, and yes, they help quite a bit: whether it be taking part in a new exercise routine or jumping head-first into a new hobby, resolutions get us motivated to make a change – they are the act of telling ourselves, each year, that we need to do better, be better. How great is it that we get a do-over each year and a chance to “start fresh?”

But for many people, it is common knowledge (and practice) that resolutions, however glowing and well-intended at first, are tossed out by February. This doesn’t need to happen to you! Prove those naysayers wrong. Keep chugging away!

A helpful hint to keep you going: Keep a log of what you accomplish toward your resolution each day, or at least once a week.

Example: Take on a 21-day exercise challenge. Each day, write down what you did, and mark that day off on your calendar. 21 days later – BOOM — nailed it. After your challenge is complete, you pick a new one, and so on and so forth. Before you know it you’re living a healthy, productive lifestyle that stemmed from just one resolution.

That said, while it’s my humble opinion that making these promises to ourselves is both refreshing and exciting, others may find the idea of a resolution a waste of time. (“To each his own,” I suppose.)  But to me, there are many positive aspects of stepping out of one’s comfort zone each year – and it’s interesting to explore how this can benefit us in the long run.

The Dynamics of Resolutions

First, it’s important to separate personal and professional resolutions. Although one can most definitely impact the other, I believe compartmentalizing them can make them seem more achievable. Also, be as realistic as possible when making a resolution; the end goal is to actually achieve something, after all. And try to “give your resolutions some respect” — no resolution is insignificant.

Here are some examples of two different types of year-long goals, personal and professional:

Personally: I’d like to become the type of person who enjoys running. Or someone who could cook a really beautiful dinner from scratch. Half the battle of keeping a resolution consists of motivation and practicality.  In other words, in order to eventually enjoy running, I need to get the right gear, maybe a cute pair of Nikes and some running attire, and I need to make it happen. And, in order to make a Julia Child-worthy meal, I need to pick up a cookbook.

Also, I recently embarked on a mission to drink less Starbucks. This has been a major shift in my life, as a whole – and I’d like to note this has nothing to do with being healthy. It has everything to do with saving $5-6 every day and putting that money toward a lavish trip to Italy. Keeping end games in mind definitely helps. My family has been amazing in helping me realize just how much I was spending on Starbucks. So my do-able resolution is: get Starbucks only on the weekends as a treat. Besides – the delicious coffee in Italy will be well worth the wait.

Professionally: Resolutions are crucial for development and bettering yourself in the workplace. One way to keep yourself motivated is to share your professional resolutions with your coworkers.  Create a support system – they’ll have your back on this. They can check in with you and ask how your resolutions are going. This is a great way to keep you on target, and also inspire you to have something new to report each time you and trusted colleagues confer on the topic.

For detailed professional resolutions, I sit down with a legal pad (yes, very old school of me…) and write down my career goals for the year. I then break them down into action items that will help me achieve these goals. For instance:

Resolution: I want to get into the office earlier.
Solution: Get more sleep by going to bed earlier the night before.

My professional resolution for this year: I want to be taken on full-time by the company for which I currently work.

Anatomy of a Resolution

How do I accomplish this?

1. Produce good work.
2. Build positive relationships with my coworkers both on my team, and via other cross-functional organizations with which I work.
3. Add value and become indispensable.

Let’s break down these three areas further:

How to produce good work:

• Pay attention to details, and answer questions/address concerns fully and completely.
• Add your personal touch – make your mark professionally by exceeding expectations while adding your personal flair to a project.
  • Example: You are tasked with taking over a corporate Instagram account for a day. Create your own hashtags. Take your time in choosing the perfect filter. Before publishing, brainstorm the PERFECT caption. The long and the short of it is that effort can be seen in the smallest of details.
  • Ask for feedback from not only your manager, but peers and customers on your projects.
  • Do your homework – aka “be prepared for anything.”  Know your project or task inside out.
  • If continuous learning opportunities are presented to you, always take part in them to learn new skills and challenge yourself in new ways.
  • Take advantage of mentorship opportunities and seek them out for guidance and advice.
  • Take on tasks you know you can successfully complete and create a realistic timeline to finish them.

How to build positive relationships:

• Go out of your way to connect with your team or coworkers in other organizations/teams.
  • Put time on their calendar to grab coffee or lunch – the worst they could say is “no.”
  • Keep open lines of communication:
    • Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback or ask clarifying questions.
    • Set up weekly 1:1 meetings to track progress.
    • Don’t be afraid to give praise — and definitely don’t be afraid to receive it.
    • Make an effort to ask people about their lives outside the office – people will appreciate this most times.

How to add value and become indispensable:

• Pay attention to the little things:
  • Spellcheck everything, and then some.
  • Send follow up emails after a call with bulleted action items.
  • Always ask if there is anything you can clarify or do better – people will give you their honest feedback, which can only help you grow.
  • Be better at what you do than anyone else:
    • Be the first one in and the last to leave.
    • Never wait on replying to an email (even if you don’t have an answer in that moment let them know you’ll follow up ASAP).
    • Be early to meetings and come prepared.
    • Be yourself:
      • You were hired because the hiring manager saw your potential.
      • Bring your personality into the workplace — and into your workday.

The point is, to make and keep resolutions, first take an action item and break it down even further. It may seem tedious at first, but will benefit you when you start killing it at whatever goal on which you have set your sights. For me, the pitstops above on my roadmap to success are fairly broad and straightforward, but at least I have a plan. This has been a successful habit of mine for the past three years, and I intend to keep it going.

All in all: your resolutions, big or small, should be something that will make you feel proud to have accomplished. The great thing is…it’s never too late. Who cares if it’s mid-January? Get something started now! There is nothing stopping you. You will feel both empowered and proud of yourself come this time next year.  Let’s whip out the legal pad and do this thing!