Happy New Year! 2020 is here, and it isn’t slowing down. Have you thought about your professional goals for the next 365 days? Do you know how you’re going to achieve them? To get you started, we’ve made a list of 4 quick changes you can make now to kick your year off right - and have your best professional year yet.
01) Read More,Use Devices Less
We’ve all read articles detailing the habits of highly successful people. The habit that you will find in common on all of those lists is that the most successful people all read regularly. In 2020, take more time away from your phone, tablet, or computer, and sit down and read a good book once in a while. Reading activates your mind and creativity in ways that can’t be imitated by any other form of entertainment, and the more you read, the more you think, and the more you learn. If reading sounds boring to you, switch up what you’re reading. While professional development books and articles have the most straight-forward professional benefits, reading fiction, biographies, or historical novels still betters your brain.
Need some inspiration on where to start reading? Check out our recommended picks.
02) Be Conscious Of How You’re Perceived
We strive to create a world where success isn’t based on looks. However, how you are perceived based on your appearance is still important to your career and professional life. We’re not talking about a beauty pageant or any kind of competition based on your looks, but how you dress and present yourself definitely has an impact on how others in the office, networking situations, or conferences see you. Imagine the difference between walking into the office feeling drab and unkempt versus walking in dressed nicely and well-groomed. Not only will others perceive you as more professional, but you’ll also feel better about yourself - which makes it easier for you to exude the energy that determines a positive perception of you in a professional space.
How you’re perceived doesn’t only depend on how you’re dressed and how you present yourself physically. It also has a lot to do with your attitude, how you treat others, and how you speak to people in person, on the phone, and through email.
In 2020, make a point of dressing and acting with intention so that you can control how you are perceived. Positive perception opens up an incredible number of professional opportunities that you may not have had before.
03) Make Time in the Mornings & Evenings
The quickest way to burn out, ruining your 2020, is to work around the clock - to work without boundaries of time or space. If you’re bringing your work home with you from the office, your living space is no longer a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. Working long hours at or away from your office will begin to affect your sleep, which in turn will affect your mood, energy, and ability to work productively. A great starting place in making time for yourself is to set aside time in the mornings and evenings to wake up and to wind down. This time is reserved for you and your personal needs and wants, but will result in a better professional life.
04) Set Your Professional Intentions for 2020
Acting without intention often leads to wasted time and a failure to achieve goals. When you live every part of your life with intention, you’re taking the time to set achievable goals and make a plan on how to achieve them. Now is a great time to set your professional intentions for 2020. Intentions are a different kind of New Year’s Resolutions, as they aren’t just random goals put out there with the hope that they can be achieved. When you set your intentions for 2020, you’re setting goals and creating a step-by-step roadmap to achieve them. For instance, if your professional hope for 2020 is to receive a promotion by the end of the year, don’t merely promise yourself that you’ll work harder. Instead, set your goal, then make a concrete plan to increase your productivity by 20% in the next 3 months and demonstrate your leadership skills effectively by the six month mark. That way, when you go in to ask for your new job title, you have the actual evidence to back up why you deserve it.
Are you ready to take the deep dive into cultivating real, meaningful relationships in your workplace and personal life? When you sign on with Future Image Group, you’re giving your employees, your company, and yourself a gift that will serve you for decades to come. Not only are you investing in the careers and lives of those you employ, but you’re also setting up the legacy of your business for long-lived success.
To get started with FIG curriculum in your workplace, get in touch with us! Talk soon!