Why you shouldn’t make New Year’s Resolutions

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It is that time of the year again. As one year winds down and we contemplate what we achieved and didn’t achieve this self-reflection can prepare us for the year ahead.

So now is the time to consider what you want to achieve in the next 12 months. I am not talking about making some New Year’s Resolutions on the 31st December, which you have usually broken by the end of January. We know New Year’s Resolutions do not work! The stats prove this.

Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their New Year’s Resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them.

So, before you make an unrealistic resolution and become yet another statistic, think of putting smart goals in place instead.

What do I mean by SMART goals? Smart goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Specific – get clear on the goal and be as detailed as possible. Saying you want to lose weight means nothing. Be specific! You want to lose 10kg and fit into your wedding dress by June 2020 is a specific goal.

Measurable – Make sure you can measure the result. In this example you can measure success by how many kilos you lose each month, allowing you to track your progress.

Attainable – part of being attainable is understanding your limits and knowing if the goal will work in your lifestyle. If you travel a lot and you know you eat poorly when travelling, you will need to adjust your habits accordingly.  Attainability comes with changing your habits.

Realistic – not being realistic is just setting yourself up for failure. If you say you wanted to lose 50kg in 6 months, then it’s unlikely. However breaking it into smaller more realistic goals helps to keep you motivated and achieve desired results over time.

Timely – is that timeframe suitable? I like to set weekly, monthly and quarterly goals and milestones to help me track my progress. Sometimes the big end goal can be a little overwhelming and make it hard to start. By following SMART goals instead of a spur of the moment New Year’s Resolutions you are setting yourself up for SUCCESS.

We think this is a better way to help you stay on track with your goals and actually see some positive results. Try these actions instead and see the difference it makes in your results.

Let us know how you go.

Ways to stand out with limited experience

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Have you found a role you want to apply for but worried you don’t have the necessary experience? You might cringe when you read the words “what experience or qualifications do you have for this role?”

Don’t despair you can still stand out and sell yourself and your ability, even with limited experience. Here are some tips to help you.

Embrace your inexperience – Don’t make out you have qualifications or experience that you both know you don’t. Instead embrace your inexperience and leverage that as motivation to learn. Share an experience you had where you didn’t have the qualifications to do something, but you did anyway, and show that it had a positive outcome.

Do your research on the company – Employers want people who have made some effort to get to know their company and what it is about. There is a plethora of information available online so there are no excuses to not do some Google searches to find out about the company and its leaders.

Show how keen & motivated you are – Enthusiasm is underestimated. I have interviewed people simply because they showed they were super keen, highly motivated to succeed and had a great attitude.

Tell them you are willing to get the experience or upskill as needed – Willingness to learn shows you are fine to move out of your comfort zone and grow as a person.

Share any volunteer work you do – If you do any volunteering work then share it. This says a lot about a person’s character and willingness to be part of a community.

Emphasise your soft skills – You might not have any formal qualifications, but you have personal skills that are relevant. Things like time management, listening, creative thinking, networking, team player, organisation skills are all valuable skills so share them.

Share stories and circumstances where you achieved something similar – You might not have direct experience for the role, but you will have life experience that you can apply. Think of a couple of circumstances where you have been challenged, how you solved them and what the outcomes are. This shows you are able to think and assess situations which is a valuable skill.

Connect with recruiters or employers on LinkedIn with a personalised message – make a good impression – Do not send the default connection message. Craft a short message sharing why you want to connect that is positive and gives them a reason to want to connect with you

Find a way to connect your passions and life experiences with the company – It might not be directly related but if you can find a link or something that will translate it can impress the hiring manager.

Keep it professional, and keep it honest, focus on the positive skills you have, fill your resume with real, valuable experience, have integrity and you might be surprised how much you stand out.