Happy New Year!
The beginning of a new calendar year is a great chance for us to make meaningful changes toward personal and professional growth. Coming up with a New Year's resolution can be daunting task. We'd love to provide you with some thought-starters to help you get going.
Personal
Leave negativity in 2017:
I always thought this was easier said than done. With all the trials and tribulations life throws at us, it's easy to get down on yourself. However, former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz offers up some wisdom that will help us leave negativity in 2017. He said, "You'll always have one choice in life -- your attitude". Think about how incredible that is.
Practice better perspective:
You've heard the adage, walk a mile in their shoes before but what does that really mean? It means your practicing empathy. It means you're stepping out of your bubble and trying to understand someone else's. With a healthy perspective, you'll have a better understanding of how your decisions and actions affect others.
Write things down:
It's been proven that writing things down places you in a space of personal accountability. By writing something down, you make a connection between a conscious thought and a bodily action. This connection is how we get anything meaningful done. Whether it's writing down your workout or writing down some smart goals, doing such will hold you accountable. I can't stress enough how impact this simple action can be.
Professional
Write concisely:
Long-winded emails are never a friendly sight. Things are more likely to happen quickly and correctly if the message is communicated concisely.
Set S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely. You may have heard of this acronym a while ago, but you'll be shocked at how many people don't set smart goals. Here's the order in which I recommend building a smart goal: First, set in stone exactly what you want to happen. Anything but this outcome is unacceptable. Next, determine how you'll quantify or measure success. If you don't, you'll be chasing a finish line that doesn't exist. Now it's time to be realistic as to how long it will take to achieve this goal. Set it and crush it.
Seek out smarter people:
If you desire to be the smartest person in the room, you're only helping one thing -- your ego. By collaborating with people smarter than yourself, you'll ensure better results. You'll also learn a thing or two along the way.