No matter your current or future career path, the new year is a great time to make a fresh start. Here are seven suggestions that are sure to help you advance in your vocational pursuits in the upcoming year.
Learn a new language – Just think of all the people you wanted to talk to but you couldn’t because they spoke a different language. ACTFL writes, in 10 Benefits Of Learning a Second Language, ”One of the most rewarding aspects of the human experience is our ability to connect with others. Being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift. Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives.”
Not only can you talk to more people, but learning a new language can help improve
your memory and will use a different part of your brain.
Get more fit – This seems to be on everyone’s New Year’s resolution list. Even if it means you’re going to change a couple of habits, for example, going to the gym more often or eating less processed foods. Regardless of your goal, becoming more active and eating right will help you feel like a better version of yourself.
You may be thinking that you are too tired and worn out to exercise but exercising actually gives you more energy. The Mayo Clinic says, “Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.”
Less screen time – This past year it seems like just about everything was online. So many people had to work or do school from a device. Of course we can’t completely eliminate screen time from our lives, but we can make the conscious decision to spend less time on devices and more time outside or interacting with family and friends.
Sarah Harris, author of 5 Benefits of Limiting Screen Time, explains, “Now that I don’t get sucked into a social media rabbit hole in the mornings, I can spend extra time writing in my journal, reading during my quiet time, playing with my cats or taking my dog for a walk.” Using screens is not bad but it may be replacing some of the other goals we want to accomplish.
Take a master class… just for fun (See our list here).
Go to bed – We all know the feeling of waking up early in the morning after we stayed up too late the night before. You will most likely feel less motivated to do daily tasks and may be in a bad mood.
Brunilda Nazario makes a good point in the 7 Surprising Health Benefits to Get More Sleep, “Besides robbing you of energy and time for muscle repair, lack of sleep saps your motivation, which is what gets you to the finish line. You’ll face a harder mental and physical challenge — and see slower reaction times.”