How to Set New Year#8217;s Career Resolutions That You#8217;ll Actually Keep

How to Set New Year8217s Career Resolutions That You8217ll Actually Keep Its that time of year soon, well seea stream of articles relatedto New Years career beschlusss and I thought I might as well jump on the bandwagon with my own contribution. However, I thought Id take a slightly different perspective and look at ways of creating New Yearscareer resolutions that well actually stick to, because most of us fail miserably in this regard,according to research by the University of Scranton. The study found that although 45 percent of people make resolutions, just 8 percent of us are successful in achieving our resolutions. Twenty-five percentof New Years resolutions dont last a week, and 36 percent of them are blown within one month.Now, this doesnt mean that we should abandon New Years resolutionsthe study showed that people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times mora likely to reach their goals than those folks who dont make resolutions. This means that, if done well, the New Years resolutionprocess can be an effective motivational and personal/career development tool.So, what can be done to help youset New Years careerresolutions that you are actually going to keep? Ive set out some tips below1. Set SMART GoalsThe best way to set goals is by using the SMART method, which means making sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bounded. Getting out of a dead-end job is too vague a goal and can easily be brushed under the carpet. Instead,say something like Be in a new, fulfilling, job/career within six months.Research from Quirkology into New Years resolutions supports this approach, as it shows people (men in particular) were more likely to succeed in achieving their goals if they set SMART goals.2. If Necessary, Break Your Resolution Down into Sub-GoalsOf course, a resolution like getting out of a dead-end job may require the achiev ement of several sub-goals ,such as identifying suitable careers, identifying skill gaps, addressing skill gaps, and applying to new jobs. So,Id recommend breaking down broaderNew Years resolutions into 2-4easily memorizedSMART goals to help give you momentum.3. Tell Others about Your ResolutionThe Quirkology study found that women in particular were more successful in achieving New Years resolutions when they told their friends and family and received ongoing encouragement. So, female job seekers especially might want to tell others about their New Years career resolutions to increase their chances of achieving them.4. Reward Yourself for Achieving GoalsThe Quirkology study also found that men in particular had more success in achieving goals when they focused on the potential rewards of reaching their goals. A carrot works better than a stick, and so Id recommend that male job seekers in particular take time to identify the specific benefits that will come from achieving their res olutions and any sub-goals, as mentioned in tip No. 2 for motivational effect. I would go as far to add rewards for yourself tothe plan, too, such as a big steak or a night out. Use whatever you consider a treat to incentivize you to hit those goals and sub-goals.And finally, try not to make too many New Years resolutions, as you can become overwhelmed and lose focus and motivation, increasingly the likelihood of failing to meet your objective. Also, becausea third of people break their resolutionsin the first month, set an immovable goal inthe first and second month of the year, such as signing up for a relevant training course, attendinga specific career seminar, or applying for a job.Anyway, Id love to hear what tips and tools you use to help yourself set and achieve your New Years career resolutions