Welcome back to reality! Everyone at Hold Everything the virtual office company based on London’s prestigious Regent Street hopes you had a great Christmas and New Year.
For many our New Year’s Resolutions have been put into play and by centering our resolutions on our career goals is a brilliant and positive way to start 2019. 
To help you achieve and hit your targets we have put together some helpful tips and pointers to ensure this is your best year yet.
- Be More Efficient-
This one seems obvious at first. But of course working more efficiently will help you to achieve your goals at work but working with efficacy involves more than simply working quickly.
Plan out your day, set specific targets and deadlines per task, prioritise your work, and learn to delegate- all of these will help improve the way you work.
- Spend Less Time On Routine Tasks-
You can often spend as much as half of your workday on unproductive tasks such as routine email communication. How about trying a new time management strategy like batching and see how it affects your productivity (in a good way). A helpful tip, when working with others instead of long, time-consuming emails how about a quick video chat or phone call.
- Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone-
Really make a conscious effort to push yourself professionally this year. By pushing yourself this could range from speaking to your boss or manager about taking on more responsibility, to making the decision to leave your current role and search for something more challenging.
Do something your future self will thank you for!
- Carry On Learning-
An article in Forbes says it’s more important than ever to keep learning at work. This is because chances are that in the future you’ll need to know about new technology and different skills to continue to meet your career goals.
To obtain new skills you can take short courses or even learn from your colleagues who possess the knowledge you’d like to have.
- Look After Yourself-
This is one of the main things we all neglect, while we dish out advice to others and between our work, home and social responsibilities we forget to look after ourselves. Be mindful of your mental state and maintaining your health and energy levels by keeping a regular sleeping pattern and eating well.
You can try practicing good sleep patterns by switching off your laptop/tablet etc at least 45 minutes before bedtime. You’ll sleep better for it! - Be Known- Raise Your Profile-
Never underestimate the power of networking, it can be daunting especially if you are new to it but If you’re working in an industry that has lots of events, try to attend as many of them as possible and have a conversation with at least two people you don’t know. You never know who you will meet!
Your online presence is also very important, ensure you are active on LinkedIn or Twitter (depending on your industry). Being well connected makes you an asset to employers, and shows that you are interested and engaged with your industry. - Utilising Your Talents-
Your career progression is all about your professional development. Look out for courses/seminars that will enable you to advance and improve your professional skills. You could be unsure of what your skills are…try asking a friend, or a colleague that you have a bond with to list 5 things that they think you do well. This will give you a little confident boost in the right direction.
- Set Your Own Assessment –
Majority of companies will hold assessments or employee reviews to evaluate progress and set new goals for the next few months. But if you have a resolution that you are serious about sticking to, schedule an “assessment” with yourself. Set yourself a time and date to sit down and evaluate the progress you have made so far and identify the key objectives of the next few months. By doing this it establishes a sense of accountability, which is important for self-motivation and discipline. - Step AWAY From The Screen-
The screen means your computer, your phone, your tablet, your laptop even your TV. Take a step back from technology; take yourself on a 5 minute walk to get some fresh air. Not only does this let your brain switch off from your work world but allows you some space to breathe and relax.
- HAVE FUN!!-
The number 1 rule, do not forget to have fun and make sure you’re happy. Try not to get so bogged down in making plans and setting goals that you forget to enjoy yourself along the way!
What happens if you don’t have a work-related New Year’s Resolution?
Then that is absolutely fine, but it’s a good idea to have something to work towards and an image of what you want to achieve as goals are KEY to building a successful career- just remember regardless of what success means to you (it could mean making lots of money or maybe getting home with enough time to spend with your family)!
Good luck for 2019.
