Career Resolutions for the New Year

7 min readJan 19, 2021

In January every year, many of us decide to set New Year’s Resolutions in order to become better people. While these resolutions often focus on personal goals, they also provide a great opportunity to think about ways of developing and improving your career. This is especially the case in 2021, as we bid farewell to a year that ushered in profound changes to the working world.

In this guide, we will discuss how to set achievable career goals for the year ahead. We will look at five examples of common New Year’s Resolutions and offer advice on how to achieve these. We will also provide a list of 20 career-boosting resolutions that you can make in 2021.

Start with Self-Reflection

The New Year is a great time for reflection. Use the holiday period to think about the big picture stuff that tends to be forgotten during our busy day-to-day work lives.

During the break, take the opportunity to reflect on where you currently are in your career and where you would like to be. Think back on the previous year and identify key achievements, setbacks and learnings so you can determine activities that you would like to build on or reduce in the year ahead.

“We do not learn from experience… We learn from reflecting on experience.”
~ John Dewey, American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer

How to Set An Achievable Resolution

Tip 1: Make it SMART

The best way to stick to your resolutions is to set goals that are achievable and realistic in the first place. One way to do this is to use the SMART method of goal setting. This describes goals that are:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound

The SMART framework is beneficial as it allows you to define goals that are clear and specific. It also enables you to break down your resolution into achievable steps, each with a realistic timeframe. This in turn helps to promote greater focus and motivation as you work towards achieving your goal.

Tip 2: Make it Meaningful

Research tells us that another way of making your resolutions more doable is to link them in with a long-term goal that is meaningful to you. Think deeply about your rationale and where this resolution will take you. Consider the person you want to become and the steps you need to take in order to achieve this. Use these insights to create a focused resolution that ties in with your long-term goals.

Tip 3: Make it Flexible

“A tree that is unbending is easily broken.”
~ Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

While a year doesn’t seem like a long time, we know all too well that many things can change in this time period. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how to be adaptable and flexible in the face of an ever-changing environment. Keep this in mind when choosing your resolution and acknowledge that you may have to tweak your goals throughout the year. Allowing yourself some flexibility from the outset will make your goals feel more doable and will enable you to stay motivated even when your plans change.

Common Resolutions & How to Achieve Them

“I Want To Develop A New Skill”

Upskilling is an excellent resolution as it can lead to career growth and professional development. Mastering a new skill may just be the thing that helps you to land a promotion or to find your dream job.

Your Plan of Action

If you haven’t already identified the skills you wish to learn, then you will need to do some research on your industry and discover the most in-demand skills.
You will then need to assess your learning style and existing skill level and choose a learning option based on this.
Another major decision is whether or not you will be seeking accreditation.
Make a realistic time commitment. Look at your schedule and see how you can fit study time into your diary.
Finally, think about how you can apply this new skill at work — perhaps you could use it as part of an existing project or create a new project altogether.

“I Want To Get A Promotion At Work”

This is a good resolution to make if you feel ready to challenge yourself and move on to the next level of your career.

Your Plan of Action

First of all, you will need to consider if your current role has any scope for upward mobility. If this is not the case, then you may wish to chat to a recruiter about making a move elsewhere.
One of the most effective ways to show that you are ready to move to the next level is to take on additional responsibilities. Brainstorm some ways you can take on more within your current job.
Start keeping a record of your achievements and professional successes.
Schedule an informal review with your manager during which you openly discuss your ambitions and get some feedback on how you can work towards these.
Learn a new skill or hone an existing one.

“I Want To Find A New Job”

If you intend to find a new role, then the New Year is an ideal time to lay the foundations for your job search. Our advice — don’t quit your current job straight away. Take your time to make a plan that ensures that the next role is the right move for you.

Your Plan of Action

Firstly, you will need to reflect on your current role. Note down what you enjoyed and what you disliked, and use these insights to help you identify what you are looking for in your next job.
Update your CV and LinkedIn to ensure that it is up-to-date and accurate.
Schedule a consultation with a recruiter to discuss your career goals. They will be able to advise you on the current state of the jobs market and what you need to do to become a stand-out candidate.
Invest in yourself. You can do this through upskilling and by developing your professional network.

“I Want To Achieve A Healthier Work-Life Balance”

When remote working became the norm in 2020, the line between work and home was blurred for many of us. For those unused to working from home, this presented many new challenges. Home-working is unlikely to go away in 2021, so the New Year presents a good opportunity to review your work-life balance in the context of your new working environment.

Your Plan of Action

Step back and reflect on your work-life balance in 2020. Try to identify what things you would like to improve and what you would like to stop.
Research time management tools and techniques that will allow you to work smarter, not harder.
Be stricter about setting boundaries e.g. switching off your devices, learning to say no, setting work hours etc.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
It may help to set measurable goals that you can build into your week and plan ahead of time e.g. arranging a virtual lunch once a week, starting your day with meditation three days a week, doing lunchtime fitness classes two days a week.

Read our guide to discover ways of maintaining positive mental health while working from home.

How to Keep Your Resolution?

“8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, while a massive 80% fail to stick to their New Year’s goals.”
~ University of Scranton

Research shows that developing habits is hard work and the process can take anywhere between two to eight months. So what can you do to set yourself up for success?

One way is to design a path to your goal that includes weekly goals, a schedule of benchmarks and rewards. In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. A handful of problems arise when you spend too much time thinking about your goals and not enough time designing your systems.”