The list of it: 8 ways to make 2023 your best year yet

OK, it’s January 1. Are you still having trouble coming up with a New Year’s resolution? Here are 8 reasonable goals you can set for yourself in 2023:

1. Start work earlier: It’s not a big deal if you walk into the office every day on time or even a couple of minutes late. It really shouldn’t impact your day or affect your relationship with coworkers. But beginning work an hour or so ahead of time, either in the home office, when the rest of your roommates are just rolling out of bed or at the workplace when the office is still empty, could greatly improve your at-work experience. You’ll get the chance to go through emails, check your voice messages, grab a cup of coffee, take a look at some of your personal communications, create or update your to-do list and then ease into the day. It is much easier to get work done when the day “officially” begins if you already have a bit of momentum pushing you forward.

2. Get up and walk around: Sure, the merits of leaving your desk for an occasional stroll around the cubicles or the subdivision is good for you physically and mentally, but it is also good for your replication at the office. While it is certainly one way to get to know your coworkers if you’re at a physical location, it also makes you a visible participant in the company’s business. No longer confined to the corner cubicle, your co-workers and managers will see you as an active participant in the day-to-day activities of your business.

3. Know when to go: While taking the above advice into account, don’t be the person who overstays his or her welcome. Learn to read the signs of a coworker who has work to do or is simply finished talking about last weekend’s game. If you see someone typing at her keyboard or looking at his phone while you’re chatting away, it’s a pretty good sign that it’s time for you to get back to your desk or to end the Zoom session.

4. Eat better: In addition to munching on healthy snacks throughout the day, maintain a simple breakfast and healthy lunch to keep your energy level consistent throughout the day. Those post-meal peaks and valleys can be incredibly disruptive to the workday. Everyone jokes about the 3 p.m. crash but if you take a serious look at your productivity, you’ll probably find that the days you chow down on that Italian beef and fries are the days you don’t get much done in the afternoon.

5 Prioritize your work: You can find numerous strategies online and in your local bookstore that outline how to maximize your productivity during the workday. One simple rule of thumb is to tackle the small tasks before moving on to the large ones. Answer emails that require less than five minutes of your time and you’ll find yourself putting out small flames before they turn into unmanageable fires. Most importantly, find a workday rhythm that works for your average workday and workweek. When do you do your best work? In the morning? Toward the end of the week? Pick up on those clues and come up with a plan that works for you.

6. Keep learning: Complacency can be a career killer. While you may be comfortable in your current position, you may not be fully aware of all the forces at work outside your cubicle. Whether it’s a pending buyout, upcoming layoff or potential department reorganization, the only thing you can be sure of is your own work, so keep learning. Take seminars and classes when you can and be sure to attach yourself to key projects as well as the people who are doing the company’s important work.

7. Work well with others: While some employees enjoy working alone, it is important for even the most intense introverts to put extra effort into team projects. Don’t worry so much about individual attention. If things go well, the entire group will benefit from the accomplishments. One way to keep coworkers on your side is to be a productive and friendly member of any working team.

8. Be nice: Make eye contact with people in the hallways and say a brief hello when you see them on the elevators. Or send people a greeting before hitting them with a request online first thing in the morning. Go ahead and make general small talk when standing next to each other at the coffee machine. These things seem simple but plenty of careers have been sidetracked because of a perceived cold shoulder. You want your coworkers to think of you as a friendly, engaged worker, not the grumpy curmudgeon who complains about his boss every chance he or she gets.