It’s that time of the year again — the time to consider New Year resolutions. More or less, everyone has the same aims: lead a better lifestyle, and get your job and finances in order. These seem to be constant, and yet the pandemic is still ongoing, and we’re still waiting for the day after.
Well, one good thing is that we have gotten used to remote work and online communication, so at least the initial complaints have been dealt with. Still, there are many people who can’t wait to get back to the pre-pandemic social gatherings, even if they are business meetings.
Finally, the looming ecological disaster seems to have finally taken root in people’s minds’ eye so, perhaps, some green resolutions should be considered as well.
Here are some New Year resolution proposals that can lead to positive outcomes for 2022.
Take Care of Your Health
First and foremost, health is paramount.
What does that have to do with year-end resolutions?
Well, consider this: if you’re sitting too much, you should consider changing your ways. The sedentary lifestyle is the new global health issue and has replaced its predecessor — smoking.
With remote work in full swing, this problem has become even bigger, and it should be promptly addressed because, let’s face it — your job isn’t going anywhere.
Back pain is the first thing that comes to mind, but did you know that sitting for too long can cause issues with injury recovery and can cause night cramps?
Leaving the rest to your imagination, we’re about to propose a solution, which, in order to be efficient, needs to be permanent.
It’s no rocket science, really. You need to change your habits, which are the chief culprit of all kinds of other disasters as well.
Remember to start small: changing all of your bad habits overnight is likely to shock your system rather than help it, so start with small breaks in between tasks. Next on, put a bowl of fresh fruit on your desk and remember it the next time you need a snack.
Over time, you’ll get used to eating fresh fruit instead of chips and, believe us, once you do, you’ll find it incredulous that you were used to eating unhealthy food for so long in the past.
Finally, injuries tend to happen more easily when you’re not exercising regularly, which doesn’t mean you need to turn to a strenuous everyday workout. Rather, it means that you should walk more, stretch your muscles during the breaks, and avoid dangerous jobs.
Finally, it’s not enough to just have healthy breaks — you’ll need to reconsider your regular diet as well. Everyone enjoys junk food from time to time, and as long as it’s from time to time, there’s no issue with that. However, if you eat unhealthily every day, it is certain to wear you down sooner or later.
Eat proper meals that include all nutrients, that is to say, beans, nuts, fish, lean meat or plant-based proteins, fresh fruit, vegetables (fresh or cooked) and low-fat dairy products. There’s nothing wrong with an occasional dessert, but don’t get used to eating too many sweets, and especially not every day. Enjoy some fruit instead — it will provide you with the sugar you need.
Make Your Workspace More Pleasing
After this first step, turn to your office space (or your home office, whichever applies). Do you enjoy spending hours on end there? Are your walls freshly painted? Do you have sufficient light? Is it clean? If not, it might be time to make a few updates to create an environment that feels welcoming and inspiring. A well-organized, aesthetically pleasing workspace can boost your productivity and creativity, which can translate into more effective strategies for tasks like improving your email open rates. Remember, the space you work in plays a significant role in shaping your focus and overall motivation.
Start with addressing these small things if the answer to any of these questions is “no,” and then move to fine details.
Bring some plants in: ZZ plants, bamboos, devil’s ivy, snake plants, succulents, cacti, peace lily and jade plants make for perfect office plants as they can handle occasional forgetful workers. Put a nice table lamp on the desk and maybe add a photo of your family or pet.
These small things added up will make your office considerably more pleasant to dwell in, which is certain to make you feel mentally better.
e More Pleasing
Are you familiar with the common benefits of eLearning? Nowadays, you can earn a certificate or accreditation for a specific skill from the comfort of your own home, or even earn a degree in the same way.
Isn’t it convenient?
The chief advantage of online courses lies in the fact that you can pick your time to study, as opposed to fixed schedules typical for traditional education.
Various courses are available for people trying to get a remote job or become digital nomads, so take your time looking up the offer. Some courses are free, but certification usually costs money. Compare offers and benefits when deciding on the next best course.
Become a Better Communicator
The importance of communication has been discussed widely, pretty much in all contexts, and never so fiercely as during the ongoing pandemic. Suddenly, even the shut-ins have found it difficult to not attend any social gatherings, so there’s a good lesson: become a better communicator.
Team communication skills, in particular, are crucial when working remotely, as it can be difficult to keep everyone on track with constant developments. Make certain to learn the ropes of popular online communication tools, especially if you’re part of an international team.
The notion is important on multiple levels, as misunderstandings common to lack of communication are the number one cause of stress for working people. There can hardly be anything worse, unless you’re planning to gig hop all the time and, even then, you’ll have to deal with the clients.
Bottom line, in addition to getting to know the communication tools, you should also work on your soft skills.
Place an Emphasis on Managing Your Finances
Now, we come to more complex resolutions. Finances seem to be the top issue for most people — and especially during uncertain times like these. The latest pandemic has had many people considering a health savings account for medical emergencies.
Suddenly, health insurance policies are not sufficient to cover unforeseen situations, and mobile accounts are in the spotlight instead. There’s a good reason why they are: they are both secure and convenient, especially for digital nomads.
It may be a good idea to consider this option for the future, as things are changing rapidly.
Find Out More About Clean Teach
Lastly, we come to the most important issue — ecology. Small benefits will any of us reap once there’s no clean air and water, so some contributions are in place.
Again, start small, by changing your bad habits. Turn off the lights when leaving the room and turn off the computer when you’re not using it (sleep mode is fine, too).
Think sustainability: turn to recycled paper and refill used cartridges. Buy eco-friendly office supplies. Replace disposable mugs with glass mugs. Use a linen towel instead of paper towel. It’s not that difficult, right?
Big steps come over time. For example, the next time you consider buying a new car, consider an EV. Maintenance costs for an EV are, after all, 40% lower than maintenance costs for a gas-powered vehicle of a similar size. The same applies to fuel costs — EV saves you between $3,000 and $10,500 in the long run.
There’s more! There are federal incentives for EV chargers that offer a credit between $2,500 and $7,500, depending on the battery capacity ($2,500 for a 5 kWh battery and an additional $417 for every kWh in excess of 5). Do some calculations and you’ll see all of these actually contribute to huge savings — on top of making your car more eco-friendly.
Look Forward to a Merry New 2022
The upcoming year is certain to bring some drastic changes to everyone’s life due to the complex geostrategic situation, global warming and the pandemic. The future is changing its pace quickly, and it is making many people anxious.
However, what we can do is stick to our resolutions and adjust the plans as needed. The resolutions discussed here are constant — leading a better lifestyle isn’t going to turn out to be a bad decision no matter what others do, so stick to your plan and enjoy the ride. The future is here!