SUCCEED WITH STYLE: New Year's Resolutions

SUCCEED WITH STYLE: New Year's Resolutions

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions. I find most people drop them within the last half of January and spend the next few weeks wallowing in guilt. What a sorry way to start off the New Year. I prefer to kick off the New Year by reviewing or better yet reveling in my accomplishments from the prior year. Then I like to think about what’s possible for the upcoming one. I find that a lot more exciting than focusing on resolutions. Just the word resolution sounds so negative. One of my goals for 2012 is to focus on the positive no matter what the situation. I had a pretty rough 2011, so I am looking forward to an outstanding 2012 and I hope you are too.

January is a great time to take stock, reflect and re-evaluate what is important to you and where you want to go. Following are ways you can get motivated and stay focused on the positive in 2012:

Write down your major personal and professional achievements from 2011.

Think about what excites you most in both your professional and personal life and start creating some interesting goals.

Think about what type of impact you want to have in 2012 both personally and professionally.

Ask yourself if your image and communication skills match your goals.
Invest in your professional development.

Organize your home and office so you are more productive and efficient. It will reflect positively on your image.

Make sure your resume, stationery and all your professional online profiles communicate a professional and consistent message.

Update your resume and professional online profiles to reflect your most recent accomplishments. Don’t wait for the next job search to do it.

Clean out your closet and invest in some clothes that reflect a truly modern and successful business professional.

Make sure your environment (ie: your office and business tools) are consistent with your image. That includes keeping your car clean inside and out.

Remember your image speaks volumes about who you are and where you are going. Why not take it to the next level in 2012 and feel your absolute best so you can achieve your absolute most. Succeed with Style in 2012!

Margaret Batting is the Corporate Style expert for GoLocalProv.com. Margaret is the owner and president of Elevé Image Consulting and the only certified image consultant and personal brand strategist in Rhode Island. She travels the country as the national corporate image consultant for CareerBuilder. For more information, visit www.eleve-style.com.