Make 2012 your best year yet

Kim Meszaros: “Becoming an employee you would like to manage if you were a team leader is one effective way of ensuring your goals are achieved."

By engaging in a simple goal-setting exercise and embarking on a strategic career planning process, you too can harness the power of the mighty dragon and take the next 12 months from good to great. "If you wish to make progress in the coming year, it's important to take the time to set some well thought out and realistic goals prior to charging your glass in celebration of the New Year," agrees leading workforce management & productivity solutions company, Kelly's marketing executive, Kim Meszaros.

Set the agenda

As Meszaros points out, every great event has an agenda that guides it and if you wish 2012 to be a positively eventful year, then preparing an agenda is crucial. It goes without saying that the goals you set translate into this plan and offer a picture of how you would like your year to play out. "When goal-setting it's important to follow the 'S.M.A.R.T' principle to ensure you are not inadvertently setting yourself up for failure," adds Meszaros.

Think S.M.A.R.T

"S.M.A.R.T" stands for specific; measurable; achievable; realistic; and time-targeted. "By using these principles as your framework when thinking about what it is you would like to achieve by the time the festive season rolls around again, you are safeguarding yourself against failure. All that's left to do is make a firm and definite decision to make the most of yourself and your career throughout the coming months and you'll no doubt have reason to celebrate as the year draws to a close," says Meszaros.

Become irreplaceable

If you'd like to find yourself in a better place this time next year, then take a long and hard look at the way you conduct yourself as an employee, recommends Meszaros. "Becoming an employee you would like to manage if you were a team leader is one effective way of ensuring your goals are achieved this year," she says.

"Become irreplaceable by adopting good habits such as always being on time, caring about your co-workers, dressing for success and working with and constantly reaffirming your goals. Find time to reflect on your past performance and learn from your mistakes, upskill yourself whenever and wherever possible and in short, make yourself irreplaceable by always being the best you can be," she concludes.

Harness the Power of the Dragon

With celebrations from the clock striking midnight on 31 December having passed and the New Year upon you, make sure your plan is in place to make 2012 your best year yet. Think of the mighty dragon and all it represents, and success will undoubtedly be yours before the year is out.

References:

• Year of the Dragon
  
• Goal Setting
  
• 12 easy steps to become a great employee.
  
• International Labour Organisation, Switzerland.2010.