It wasn’t that long ago that we started penning New Year’s resolutions for 2013. A lot of us probably thought about eating better, getting more exercise, spending more time with family and improving our academic performance. The big question is whether we can stick to those goals.
There are plenty of arguments out there about whether making New Year’s resolutions is productive. Do those goals motivate us to do better, or do they set us up for failure? That’s up to you to decide. But you’re definitely on the right path career-wise to be here with us. You could be changing your financial prospects dramatically.
For many, resolutions are great things. Goal setting is never a bad idea. It’s also a perfect way to start off the New Year to focus on positive ways to improve yourself and your quality of life. Sure, you may not meet all of your goals, but it’s the act of working toward them that matters.
Regardless of how you approach this year’s resolutions, the end goal is usually aimed at achieving something that will increase your personal happiness — such as becoming a captain. Truth is, you can achieve that happiness by making just a few simple daily adjustments. (You don’t even have to call them resolutions if you don’t want to.)
Take a minute to plan and prioritize. Ending your day with that priceless feeling of accomplishment often requires a little strategy. Pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to a big goal. Do that first and then let the rest fall in line.
Give a ‘gift’ to everyone you meet. Don’t worry. They don’t have to be big. These gifts may simply be a smile, a greeting or a word of encouragement. The feeling of giving nearly always yields happiness.
Assume people have good intentions. It’s not hard to assign meaning to actions others do that annoy you. Since you can’t read minds, you don’t really know the “whys” behind the “whats” that people do. Imputing less than pure motives to other people’s weird behaviors adds extra misery to life.
End each day with gratitude. Just before you go to bed, write down at least one good thing that happened. Even if you bombed a test that day, maybe you got an A on a paper, or your child made you proud. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day.