Post-Holiday Focus
As the Holidays Draw to a Close…
For many people, the holidays are a wonderful time of year, but they can also be busy and stressful. There are parties, get togethers, possible religious gatherings, relatives visiting, sometimes from far away. There’s often a lot of shopping involved. It seems that as soon as Christmas is over, New Year’s Eve is upon us.
Coming off the holidays can feel disparaging, whether you’re going back to work or searching for new employment opportunities. Once the actual joy of the celebration is in the past, you’re left with a home to clean and bills to pay. Life goes on, the world keeps spinning, seemingly without a chance for you to catch your breath. In addition, business as usual after the holidays can sometimes seem especially all-business.
While not universal, feeling low after the holidays is normal, but hopefully, the holidays have left you rested and rejuvenated. The most important thing after the holidays, is how you approach the days ahead.
Listed below are a few ways to approach 2018 with renewed focus:
- Reflect on 2017: Now may be a good time to reflect on the closing year. Are you meeting your career goals? If so, what has been the biggest benefit in doing so? If not, what could you strive to change so that you can be more certain of meeting those goals in 2018?
- Focus on your Strengths: What are your strengths? Is there any one thing that you could change in your life to better leverage those strengths?
- Set Your 2018 Goals: Now is traditionally a good time to set resolutions for the following year, both personal and career related. When setting career related goals, practice S.M.A.R.T.
- Your goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Focused, and Time Sensitive. A goal of becoming a “CEO of a Fortune 500 Company,” is nice in theory, but is it realistic? Or would a more realistic goal be to join a Fortune 500 Company in an entry level role with the goal of learning the business from the ground up.
- Manage Stress: Has the previous year been stressful? While circumstances can add to your stress, your approach to managing stress can reduce it. What are some things you could be doing to manage your stress better?
- Daily Reading: Devote time each day to reading personal growth materials that will help to enhance your career.
- Make your Goals Visible: Write your goals down, and place them where you can view them daily. At the end of each day, ask yourself “Did what I do today bring me closer to meeting my goals, or farther away from them”. Reevaluate and plan your next day objectives based on your evaluation, and future goals in mind.
Lastly, go into 2018 with a Positive Attitude. It is going to be an Amazing Year. Remind yourself of all the accomplishments you are proud of in 2017. Strive daily to create the Amazing Life that you were born to live.