By Coleen Hunter, CHRP

Oprah Winfrey said: “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right”.  Joey Adams said: “May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions”.  Another familiar quote: “Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits”.  Every January, people feel compelled to create a list of resolutions to make us better people and often overwhelming ourselves with an impossible task list that is destined for failure.

So why make New Year’s resolutions that are unlikely to succeed and more likely to fail? 

Instead, establish a maximum of three activities that you try out. If they feel good and work for you, keep on going.  If they don’t feel right and are not a good fit, discard them.  You won’t feel as bad as you would breaking your traditional resolutions – lose weight, get fit, save money, get a better job.

And you might find that one or more of these activities actually feels good and makes your life a little richer.  Here are three suggested activities to try out.  Of course, you can always come up with your own list of new activities or practices that you want to try out in the coming year.

1. Listen more than you talk – While this is fairly common advice, you might be surprised what you can learn about others, but also learn about yourself by following this practice.  Often the most impactful participant in a discussion is the individual that has carefully listened to all the points of view and then weighs in at the end with a well-thought and balanced perspective.  This type of individual often becomes the go-to person for thoughts and opinions. They are viewed as careful and wise – careful listeners and wise at analyzing all the information before coming to very measured and balanced perspectives.
2. Read voraciously to live and grow – Read a lot and read often.  Vary what you read.  If you are in the habit of reading the comics, try reading the sports section.  If you subscribe to Whole Living, try reading a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine.  Join a book club, dust off your library card, buy an e-reader, and go online and research topics of interest or challenges that you are currently facing.  Create opportunities for quiet and reflective time to enjoy literary classics or old favourite reads.  Read to your children or volunteer to read at a hospice.
3. Take yourself a little less seriously – We have been encouraged to be appropriate and professional in our business environment.  Balance this with a little personal silliness. Nothing feels as good as a gut-busting laugh, particularly at you. Find the humour in stressful situations.  Go bowling, do some volunteering, take up a new hobby, be a cliché and sing in the shower.  Encourage laughter in your home and office.  Savour a good joke and share funny moments. 

I can’t promise that you will feel as virtuous making your 2011 list of new activities to try out, but I do predict that you are more likely to be successful in enjoying the experience than faced with a dry and intimidating list of self-improvement resolutions.  Happy New Year!

Coleen Hunter, CHRP is a Senior HR Executive with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of Human Resources in various industries such as Retail, High Tech, and Manufacturing & Food Processing. She has been an Advisory Council Member in Fraser Valley for five years and has previously served on the BC HRMA Board of Directors.