Seven Easy Ways To Improve Your Life And Career In 2021

By Jack Kelly

We’re really close to the New Year and you may be starting to feel a little pressure to come-up with some positive career and life resolutions for 2021. 

After a long, brutal 2020, it's understandable that you’re a little rattled, shell-shocked and mostly focused on just getting by and surviving. You’re probably a little too fearful to be hopeful given what we’ve been through. When people go from one ordeal to another, it's hard to remain optimistic. The challenge is that entering a New Year kind-of requires hope. If you need some help getting started, here’s some relatively easy things to do to jumpstart your career and life in 2021.

Start The New Year With A Plan

Decide what you want to do with your professional life. Instead of sleepwalking through the motions, give thought to where you are and the direction you want to go in your career. Map out a plan that will enable you to achieve this goal. Then, start taking baby steps—one at a time. 

Just like you shower, shave and brush your teeth everyday, spend focused time analyzing where you are in your journey and take steps towards achieving your mission. Some days it will feel like you’re racing forward. Other times it's a slow slog. That’s okay, but keep trying despite the inevitable temporary setbacks. 

Take Care Of Yourself

Life and work are like a marathon. You have to have endurance and strength to succeed in both. It's important to eat right, exercise, sleep well and keep yourself mentally and physically in shape. 

To grow and develop you should also read more, doom-scroll through social media less, seek out and meet with new people and try to learn something every day. You’ll get smarter, stronger and more confident. You will need this when times get tough, which always happens.  

Try Listening To People When They Talk 

It's important to open yourself up to new ideas and suggestions. By being receptive to co-workers, managers and others, it will help you learn and grow. If you remain closed off, people will get frustrated and tired of dealing with you. You will also be perceived as stubborn, unyielding and resistant to change. Clearly, these traits are not highly desirable by management, an anathema to career growth and not highly viewed during an interview.  

You never know who will give you some amazing insights that will propel your career forward. There’s no need for you to have all the answers. There are so many bright people out there that could always offer something new and useful.

Don’t Hate The Haters  

Life is way too short to spend it hating on others. Unfortunately, there will always be a large supply of people at work that are only too happy to see you fail. Some will go as far as attempting to sabotage your career. People will engage in nefarious types of corporate politics and duplicity. It can be easy to fall into playing this game and try to exact revenge against others. 

Avoid this temptation and focus on your daily habits. It's useless to expend precious time trying to fight wars with co-workers, you’ll just drag yourself down in the mud with them. Instead, focus on your own dreams and ambitions while blocking out all the noise.

Seek Mentors And Peer Groups To Network With

Seek out mentors who can share their accumulated knowledge and wisdom with you. These good-natured people take pleasure in imparting their experience with others. Then, down the road, pay it forward. If someone comes to you for advice, let them become your protégé. It will make you feel good to help others. Also, find peers to network with and learn from. It's mentally, emotionally and spiritually uplifting to surround yourself with like-minded people intent on improving themselves and growing their careers.

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

 It's tempting to look at someone you went to high school or college with who is now a huge success and then compare yourself to that person. It’s a bad habit and trap to fall into. It will make you feel bad about yourself and crush your self esteem. Instead, be happy for their success and focus your energies on how you will build your own path. The only comparison to make is with the person you were yesterday and who you are today.

 Remain Positive With Everyone 

Most people trudge along acting surly, angry and ticked-off. These unhappy folks don’t even try to hide their negative feelings. Some people are actually proud to complain aloud about how overworked, unhappy, mistreated and aggravated they are. 

You need to do the exact opposite. It's so simple; smile and be nice with everyone you come in contact with. Extend a compliment, offer a pat on the back and recognize a co-worker’s contribution. This doesn't cost anything and these small little interactions will make you the person that others want to be around and will attract other smart successful people.