Have you made some lofty resolutions? It’s expected, everyone is guilty of it. Heck, I simply gave up on the idea of going to grad school in the near future so two years ago, my new years resolutions have changed to finding something that truly fulfills me. Here I am.
Merrium Webster Dictionary defines resolve as, “to reach a firm decision about.” Everyone has their disappointments when they realize they bit off more than they could chew but here are some easy to implement actions to take at the first of the year.
Time for Reflection
Which of your professional resolutions did you not quite succeed at last year and why?
If you’re anything like me, you are your own toughest critic. Look at this reflection as a learning opportunity and, try again! This time change your approach so you can be more effective and ultimately, successful!
Actions Begets Action
Newton’s third law of motion states,
The third law states that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.
via NASA
Think baby steps to set yourself up for success. Progress isn’t made over night so don’t expect it from yourself. Most failed new years resolutions are failures because people become distracted and don’t hold themselves accountable.
Align with people who inspire you and use tools that can help you to be more effective. Ask them out for coffee & learn what actions they have taken to build their success. No sense in reinventing the wheel, right?
Accountability
We have mentors in our professional lives so why not expand that relationship by asking your mentor or a colleague to help keep you on track & provide support.
With all of the relationships we’ve built through social media, you've have plenty of people to call upon for an accountability partner. Try to check in with them every few weeks. Advise them on your progress and next steps.
Go at everything with a solution-oriented approach.
Tools to Succeed
A few resources that may help you track your resolutions and save you time and money.
iResolve2011 –
iResolve takes things even further and lets you store your resolutions online, sharing some and keeping others private. You can even gift a resolution to somebody else. Better yet, we will send you a periodic resolution reminder to keep you focused on meeting each of your resolutions.
Mint –
Mint offers a personalized and free web based budget planner that offers integration with Android and iPhone mobile devices. The budget planner allows you to organize your expenses in categories and provides infographics so your eyes don’t glaze over from looking at a spreadsheet all day.
A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying and organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and writing.
The Pomodoro Technique –
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method that suggests people cannot dedicate their full 
attention to any one task for more than 25 minutes.
The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique™ can be split in five simple steps:
Choose a task to be accomplished
Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
Note to self: Purchase a kitchen timer.
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