Be a better you in the new year

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to fine-tune our habits, even if we had a successful year previously. There’s nothing bad about being even more efficient, so the Elysian team compiled a few great ways to continue to accomplish goals and tasks! These ideas, techniques, and apps will help you have your best year yet in 2018.

Ideas:

Reorganize and revamp your resume.
Making sure that your resume is always up-to-date and that projects you’ve led or been a part of, and accomplishments are included. This not only helps you to show off your best self, but it shows attention to detail. You never know when you’ll need to show your resume to someone, so making a habit of updating your resume frequently is helpful for both the short term and the long term.

Find a planner or agenda that helps you to be your most organized self.
Writing things down or keeping track of goals, life changes, and important events can help you to feel as together and on top of your game as possible--yes, even if you’re already successful! It can never hurt to be more aware of and intentional about your time and your energy. There are plenty of systems and agendas out there that you can choose from, including The Simple Elephant planner from Amazon. If you’re hesitant to try it, read Rachel Wilkerson Miller’s piece on how being more organized and using journals has changed her life.

Prioritize your energy and time to prevent burnout.
Burnout is common at the beginning of a new year or phase of your life when you feel like you have to accomplish everything at once. “When I hear someone say, ‘I’m burned out,’ I will assume there’s probably an imbalance in their life at work or at home. They’ve encountered some barriers and roadblocks along the way. And they’re struggling to get beyond them,” says Dr. Thomas Roe, Psy.D., coordinator of graduate student counseling services at the University of California, Davis. So before going full speed ahead in 2018, pause and take a moment to truly let yourself recharge, set goals, and prioritize how you spend your energy and time.

Schedule time with yourself each day or week if you have to. This will allow you to check in with yourself and make sure you’re being kind to yourself with how you use your energy and time.

Techniques:

Reread a favorite book or rewatch a favorite movie.
New years or months can make us feel stuck sometimes, because we feel pressure to be more organized, newer, or better somehow. When you feel this kind of stress, doing something that feels natural and fun can make you feel more like yourself, and help you get into the flow of things.

Use the first hour of the day wisely.
The way that you start your day affects everything else, setting the tone for the rest of it. If you don’t already have a morning routine that helps you to begin your day feeling positive and together, a new year is a good time to create one. You can start your day with yoga, meditation, doing a crossword puzzle or even get a headstart on e-mails. Whatever activity floats your boat, making sure that your body and brain are in great shape is a guaranteed way to jumpstart your day.

If to-do lists aren’t your thing… Prioritize.
A prioritization system may work better for you than a to-do list. Hey, they’re not for everyone. As Inc. explains, using a prioritization system might make you feel more accomplished, and up your productivity in turn. Narrowing your focus could help you feel less overwhelmed, and “reducing your number of priorities will ultimately enable you to achieve more,” says Brian Scudamore, CEO of 02E Brands.

Apps:

Wunderlist
Here for all your digital to-do list needs, this app will help you keep track of and prioritize everything you need to get done. It boasts that it “keeps your life in sync.” After all, what’s better than feeling in touch with yourself and your goals?

Grid Diary
This app helps you reflect on your day, as well as plan for it. It’s simple and has everything that a normal diary would but without the hassle. You can choose “words” and intentions for the day, keep track of good things that happened, problems you encountered, and goals. It’s a solutions-oriented app, here to help you be your best self!

Shapr
No matter what level you’re at, there’s always room to do networking. But getting out to networking events and spaces can be hard and even overwhelming, even for the most social among us. Shapr lets you choose keywords and presents you with professionals in your area who work in similar industries and jobs, then matches you to people who are also interested in talking to you. Their motto is “Meet inspiring people, shape your life.” So go on, be inspired and inspire!

What are your resolutions or goals? We want to hear them! Comment or e-mail us to let us know. Want to know our personal resolution at Elysian? We want to provide you with as many tips and tricks as possible--ensuring that you can and will get ahead in your life and career this year!

Happy new year, and let’s make 2018 the best yet.

All the best

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