Welcome to 2017!
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A new year always brings a sense of excitement and opportunities. Which is bizarre really – as it’s really just another day on a calendar. But if you’re anything like me you’ll be wondering – and hopeful – for what is around the corner. And if you are – we’ve got some great blogs planned for you over the coming months!
But as it’s only just been New Year’s Eve, let’s ease ourselves in gently.
But as it’s only just been New Year’s Eve, let’s ease ourselves in gently.
- Go back to basics – always a great place to start. One of my colleagues always tells the story that each new year he pulls out our careers motivation cards and checks that what he’s looking for from his career is the same as last year. In the same vein, don’t assume that you will be – go back to the beginning and fundamentally be sure you’re getting what you want from your career. For example, in previous years it may have been about finding challenges or delivering some huge projects, this year might be about altruism or life balance. What is it that you want to be driving your work this year?
- Make sure you know your strengths. What is it that you’re good at and that you love doing? What kind of work really energises you? Then ask yourself honestly – did you do enough of it in 2016, and will your job allow you to do more of it in 2017, or do you need to realign your role or do something else in the organisation? If you’re not sure of your strengths, there are several things to try. What do others feel are your best strengths? Do these things also energise you – or are they just things you’ve learned to do well? Try tracking at the end of each day – what did you enjoy? What did you dislike or put off? Is there a pattern? This might give you clues about actively shaping your role.
- Be positive – yet realistic. Some people go mad in January – new year, new optimism, new tasks and lots of new commitments. Before you go too far, remember that when you’re taking on new things that you need to align them to your strengths – and make sure that you don’t over-commit!
- Centre and organise. I find that I’m productive and efficient when I’m clear about what I need to do and how I’m going to do it – and when I’m not surrounded by the detritus of paper and clutter. Much of my last week was spent purging, filing and preparing – and now my inbox is at zero, lots of actions have been completed, I have a clear mind and a clear desk – and I’m ready to face the world. And despite the year having just started, there’s still time to do this if you want to start off on the right foot!
- Get the support you need. If you want to make the most of this year – I’d urge you to get some help. If you don’t have a career mentor who will kick you up the butt (especially if you’re likely to have forgotten all of this by January the 9th!) – then now is the time to get one. In a past blog we’ve given some great ideas about how you can get this to work.
- Remember to do something every day. If you’ve been through Drive Your Career you will know that it’s taking daily career actions that make the biggest difference. Commit to yourself to make daily career action habitual; each day you can tell someone about the things that you’re achieving or that you’re proud of or really enjoy. That way, you’ll be constantly building your reputation, and ensuring that others will think of you when work comes up that you’d thorough enjoy!