Career tips for 2014

It’s a new year and as many people would look at it, it’s a fresh year for changes and opportunities. Planning the year for career success is one of the biggest challenges to some people (some don’t even have career plans), but if you do it right, you will definitely find success. Here are tips we can share to help you with your journey to success for 2014:

Review and Plan

There may have been a lot of things that you were not happy with for last year but you can’t just think that what happened has passed. You need to consider all of the things that happened in the past and make goals on how you can make things better – don’t just think about the “what could have been” or “what ifs” but learn from what happened to help you make better decisions if similar situations ever happen again. Keep in mind that setting up your goals for this New Year is not a onetime deal, it may change from time to time and more goals (no matter how small or big) maybe added to the plan. Your goals will help you determine your targets, the things you need to do and what can make you happy or satisfied – from having a target number for how much you want to save to certain destinations you would like to visit.

Don’t lose focus

Some people make New Year resolutions and the same as in planning your career, distractions will come along the way. Take the time to measure your achievements, success and failures with your goals and re-assess if there are things that you need to do differently. Never forget the reasons why you set those goals and what you would like to achieve with them.

Manage your time well

One of the blockers some people say for doing the things that they would want to do is the lack of time. Time management is one of the keys in achieving your goal. Be sure to plan out the things you want to achieve and set a realistic timeline for it. Lastly, when you have your time management and schedule, be sure to follow it 100% because if you don’t stick to it, you will end up just planning without accomplishing anything – don’t be the “there is always tomorrow for it” guy.

Balance your life

Although it is important to work hard and be focused on your career, it’s equally important too that you balance your life (especially if you already have a family of your own). If you focus too much on work you might end up stressing yourself. You should also include in your goals that things that makes you happy – have the time for your family and friends and from time to time, don’t forget to reward yourself even with the smallest things such as going to the spa, getting a massage or eating foods that you love. One of the things that you should not ignore and should be monitored is your health. Working too hard, drinking too much coffee, stress, sleepless night, unhealthy fast food - will sooner or later, take a toll on your health.

Suggested relevant reads:

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2013/12/23/10-tips-to-get-your-career-in-high-gear-for-2014/
2. http://www.meditec.com/blog/
3. http://theweek.com/article/index/254679/6-smart-ways-to-catapult-your-career-in-2014