New Year’s Resolutions: How To Set Smarter Goals
Jan 16, 2022

It’s an age-old tradition to think about fresh starts when it comes to the beginning of a new year and many of us still set big goals as the clock chimes 12 on December 31st. From exercising more to healthy eating, getting a big DIY project done, or reading more, our goals are as diverse as we are, but many share the same unfortunate fate – we fail to keep them up. Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten about our resolutions by the time February rolls around.

 

So, how can we do better and work smarter when it comes to resolutions?

 

One method is using business principles and techniques to manage our goals. First, you want to set a number of clear and measurable resolutions in the same way you might set goals for your career or business. Remember to keep it manageable – 3 to 5 is plenty! This allows you to pay attention to each and keep them under control. Then plot your resolutions out as projects and manage them. Analyse your resources (including time and money), break them down into milestones and create a realistic framework for success. This analytical approach is much more likely to be successful than just telling the universe this is the year you get a six-pack! Go back and measure your progress each month to stay on track.

 

Another way to take on new year’s resolutions is to completely invert them and start celebrating new year’s achievements instead. This way, instead of setting a goal to reach, you come to the end of the month and mark down the achievements you have made. No disappointments, no getting off track, and you’re guaranteed to have plenty of good stuff to look back proudly on come December! This might look something like this:

 

January – I had a great first month at my new job (remote, cool colleagues, high pay, business travel to look forward to) and I’ve already had positive feedback from management!

 

February – I managed to solve a challenging problem for a client, I ate healthy food for most of the month, and I’ve been walking more.

 

March – I started a course to improve my technical skills at work, I read a great new book that has been on my reading list for ages, and I volunteered at a charity event.

 

See, those small wins quickly stack up! Isn’t that more satisfying than a new year’s resolution that you forget about in a few weeks?

 

They say you have to eat an elephant one bite at a time and whether you decide to project manage your resolutions or flip them completely on their head it’s important to celebrate the small victories along the way as well as the big achievements. Here is to a successful and productive 2022!

14 Aug, 2023
Rephrasing the famous song, “Love is in the air”, let’s talk about change is in the air – and everywhere. We grow. We change. Look at your childhood photos. Watch your kid, your nephew, your niece. The change is there, and it’s incredible. Nature is constantly changing. We wait for summer as the time to enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, for a quick visit to the beach, or simply take time to relax and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. We wait for winter (even if we never see snow falling) to decorate the house for the holidays, pack presents for the people we love and unpack our own. The colour of the leaves changes, the weather shifts, and flowers blossom in their time – the landscape is constantly transforming. The world around us is changing. We travel to other countries and learn new things, cultures and languages. We take on new hobbies. We get new skills. After a couple of minor kitchen accidents (sometimes), we can cook delicious dishes and get compliments from family and friends. We transform our bodies at the gym or simply by creating the habit of walking every day. We meet new people, we sometimes fall in love, we build families, we have kids. And if you step back for a second, you realise you might have met your other half by pure accident. But you took a leap of faith into the unknown. We embrace many types of unknown change, except for the one that can change how we live five days a week – to change jobs. “I am too old/too young to change”, “I’m used to this environment; It’s my comfort zone”, “Well, I don’t get any promotion, and what I do doesn’t change the world, but it’s stable”, “I am afraid to ask for more interesting projects. What if my manager fires me?”. We often don’t want to change because that step requires a vision, courage, external support, and a leap of faith into the unknown. Scary? Yes. But also promising. A step into the unknown? Yes. But it can open a new door. Do your inner values marry what you do? Yes, it is essential. There is nothing terrible about staying in your comfort zone. At some stage of your career, staying put can be an excellent decision. But if you feel that you need a change – talk to Kelly. We don’t mind going the extra mile and support your wish to embrace the change. The one which will give meaning to what you do, feel proud, motivated and fulfilled. Ready for changing? We’ll make sure your talent can truly shine.
10 Aug, 2023
You’ve seen these guys before when a circus came to your city or maybe on TV. They walk on a wire at an impressive height, sometimes without insurance, sometimes with a long stick that probes the void right and left. They walk slowly, trying the wire with their toes first, making small steps, their eyes fixed on the small platform where they plan to land soon. They never watch down. They don’t listen to an audience that applauses or gasps in awe. They are concentrated on keeping their balance. To keep balance. Let’s come down from the wire above the arena or stage. Let’s look closer at balance, where it has its roots and the secrets of keeping it. Is it an art? Or is it a skill? Can you learn to keep balance? Or is it an innate skill that only gymnasts, figure skaters, circus artists and ballet dancers are born with? Want to know the secrets of a ballerina that must perform 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at a high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe? First, keeping balance is a skill people must learn for years. In ballet, sport, circus, real life, and… work life. A ballerina is taught to pick one point and to fix her eyes on it when she makes her 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe. She focuses on one thing that keeps her upright. She doesn’t look anywhere else. Gymnasts in some disciplines are constantly trained to feel the bar under their feet. They are prepared to land precisely on the bar after they jump, and the incredible contortions we admire in competitions. But let’s come back to the circus artists we have begun with. Often, they have a long stick in their hands to keep their balance. Is their secret hidden in the stick? And what is the secret? You don’t need to be a ballet dancer, a gymnast, or a circus artist to get the idea of balance. Here are your first two steps in your balance training: 1. Keep your main priorities in mind. And have a clear idea about what is very important for you and where you are ready to compromise. But don’t listen to external opinions that don’t align with your ideals. Forget about the audience’s applause – focus on you. 2. Use some help to stay upright and get to your goals. Imagine your life split on two ends of the helping stick, your job is on one end, and your private life is on another. How comfortable do you feel at your height now with the load on both ends? You need support. We at Kelly pay a lot of attention to balance. The balance between people’s private lives and their jobs. The balance between feeling appreciated and professional goals or between achieving extraordinary results and being inspired. Talk to Kelly today. We are not ballet coaches or sports trainers, but we know much about how important work/life balance is in our lives.
03 Aug, 2023
We often associate certain qualities with individuals who seem to possess a natural talent for creativity. We convince ourselves that painting, singing, or dancing are pursuits reserved for these "real" artists while we remain mere spectators. Creativity? Inspiration? No, it's not about me.
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