HR Newsletters 2022

CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Krystal Thurman

2022 – New Year, New You! There is so much pressure in that statement. With each New Year comes the pressure of creating a New Year’s resolution. While the idea is inherently good, the thought of working to- wards a goal for the next 365 days is all-consuming. Several years ago, I decided not to bind myself to a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions are not a bad concept and many people benefit. However, my concern sur- rounds those who set lofty goals and miss the mark only to find themselves riddled with anxiety, doubt, and or a sense of failure for not achieving what they had planned. I can relate because I fall into the latter catego- ry. An interesting podcast from January 5, 2022 by Harvard Business Review’s Kelsey Alpaio, Christine Liu, and Elainy Mata, shares new ways to think about personal transformation in lieu of setting one big New Year’s resolution. The authors suggest:  Tip 1: Create “fresh starts” - This means setting monthly and short-term goals that are achievable. Month- ly goals will keep you motivated for a longer duration. This is a suitable time to insert a shameless plug for the LinkedIn Learning Challenges!  Tip 2: Frame to make it fun! – Consider your goals and look for ways to make it fun. An excellent example they gave was the adoption of eating more fruits and veggies for the health benefits. If you force yourself to eat salads and other veggies just for the health benefits, you may not reap much reward. You can bring more fun to the goal by seeking in season fruits and veggies to try. It becomes more of an adventure seeking experience simply by reframing the goal.  Tip 3: Break goals into micro habits – This entails refining “lofty” goals into smaller, achievable habits. For example, (another shameless LinkedIn Learning plug) imagine setting a goal to study one entire course on LinkedIn Learning each month. That is an achievable goal; however, it feels lofty and even a bit vague. In- stead, create a goal to view five minutes of content each day. That is an easy, dare I say too easy, goal to set and to achieve. It is not intimidating and it can be done daily.  Tip 4: Evaluate your resolutions – If you prefer to make resolutions, take a few minutes to evaluate them. Do they align with your values? Should you set aside one for now and return to it later in the year or next year? Apply SMART goal setting principles to whatever you decide.  Tip 5: Consider the negative risks – You read that correctly. Setting goals that are too ambitious, too broad, or two vague can lead to tunnel vision. This suggests you become too focused on doing everything possible to achieve your goals and fail to focus on anything else. It is all about finding a healthy balance. There is merit in all the tips provided by Alpaio, Liu, and Mata. Personal and professional development and transformation do not happen without a concerted effort. Setting goals is a great start, you just need to make sure they are aligned to your values and needs and are achievable. Did not set a goal at the start of 2022? That is ok! Transformation can begin at any time.

Reference: Alpaio, K., Liu, C., and Mata, E. (2022) It’s Time to Rethink New Year’s Resolutions. Harvard Busi- ness Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/its-time-to-rethink-new-years-resolutions

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