subject: Keeping New Years Resolution Number 1: Improving Career And Qualifications [print this page] Besides losing weight, quitting smoking or drinking, a top resolution is to improve career and qualifications, in order to achieve more out of your working life. Its a big goal for a New Years resolution but can be done with patience and a realistic outlook on what you can achieve.
Many fail at New Years resolutions often due to aiming too high or being too hard upon themselves. Yes, New Year is time that signals ideas of change, yet you need not motivate yourself negatively. A negative approach to New Years resolutions often means they fail. For instance, the resolution I will not drink may be purely negative motivated due to a few bad experiences and is unrealistic (for most). A resolution that may be easier to keep will be I will cut back on drinking. So before you set your training and qualification goals, make sure it is realistic and is positively motivated. You want a sense of achievement over punishment after all.
Make sure your training goals are realistic by researching if it is appropriate for your level of qualifications or knowledge. Try not to opt for a training course that is above your level, as you may feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Its best to look for courses that are challenging, but are not too hard or easy. Be realistic about what you can do and youll find it far easier to keep your resolution.
Training can be for most a particularly tiresome task, especially if you work as well. When you get home, all you want to do is slouch, eat spaghetti bolognaise and watch the latest soap till you have to go to sleep and wake up the next day for work. So if you are to reach your goals for this year, you need training that is appropriate for you. It may well be that you prefer a late night or weekend class if you work a standard 9-5 job. But if you often work extra hours, different shifts, have family to look after or simply feel too tired to leave the house after work, computer based training may be a better option as you can train in your home whenever you have the time.
Its easy to get overwhelmed by goals and feel they are unachievable, especially when it comes to something as big as training for a qualification. So when you set your New Years resolution, think about breaking your goal into sub-goals. Having sub-goals make it far easier to measure your progress and helps to encourage you as you feel you have achieved something towards the greater goal. For instance, when training a sub-goal could be a completed module or doing better on the mock test than you did last time, or improving your knowledge on a concept. However, you choose to do it its important you encourage yourself so give yourself a treat each time you complete one of these sub-goals.
A sense of progress is vital to attaining training goals, but so is support (tell your family and friends) and constantly reminding yourself of the potential greater outcome in the long term. Keep yourself positively motivated and dont feel guilty of any slip ups from time to time.
