[AjayKumar.Kataram]

10 New Year's Resolutions to Improve Your Career


10.) Make a list and check it twice: To stay in control of your work and your priorities, stay organized and outline your tasks for the day. Make sure you write down your short-term goals (for the next six months) and long-term goals, evaluate your progress frequently, and stay focused.

9.) Are you present and accounted for? You may physically be at work, but are you there mentally? Stay engaged while doing your tasks and get absorbed in your assignments. Your boss is always watching!

8.) Learn how to work through others. Everyone has days where they have to work overtime, but if you are logging excessive hours, maybe it's time to ask for help. Managing others and task delegation are important skills to master at any level.

7.) Participate in extracurricular activities. Always look for opportunities to broaden your skill set, both within and beyond work-related ways. Attending professional development seminars or pursuing hobbies is a great way to network with influential people.

6.) Hang out at the water cooler. Socializing appropriately with colleagues will help you learn about what's happening in other departments and establish you as a team player within the company.

5.) Create your own goals. Determine where you want to be professionally and the skills that you need to possess to reach that goal. Each day, try to come closer to reaching that standard, whether it be speaking up in a meeting or taking a computer class after work.

4.) Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Accept challenges that take you out of your comfort zone and force you to try something new. You may stumble upon a secret talent or hidden passion.

3.) Get what you deserve. If you believe you deserve a promotion or a raise, ask for one. Demonstrate your case and stand up for your needs. If your boss is unwilling to heed your demands, ask him or her what you need to achieve in order to qualify for a raise or promotion.

2.) Unplug and unwind. Make sure you're giving yourself some time off - evenings and weekends included. Attending to your personal life and doing things that make you happy and relieve stress, will help your performance at work. Employers like happy, healthy and productive workers!

1.) Seek satisfaction. If you're disappointed by your current career but can't afford to quit, look for ways to transform your job into more of what you want. If this does not solve the problem, maybe it's time to look for a new position.

"Whether you plan to look for a new job in 2007 or aim to land a promotion, these are changes people can make in their daily work routine to be at the top of their game,"