5 Ways To Step Up Your Game In 2018

Many of us tend to make — and break — New Year resolutions within the first week of January. But it’s important to remember the old saying that success isn’t a sprint — it’s a marathon. So rather than committing to making drastic changes you won’t be able to stick to, why not start taking some small steps towards developing your career (and yourself as a person) that might continue into the next year and the one after that? You might not have it all “figured out” come 2019, but you might have laid some foundations to build on. Here are five ways we’ll be stepping it up in 2018…

Diversify your social circle

You might enjoy hanging out with the same crowd you went around with at school — and such friendships should always be cherished. However, it’s also important to branch out and start befriending people from different walks of life. This will not only help broaden your horizons but will also make you feel less intimidated in social situations such as networking events and business dinners. Don’t discount friendships with colleagues who are much older than you (or much younger), or from a different social or cultural background. People you think you don’t have much in common with may surprise you. Get chatting with people in your office kitchen — you never know when that “mundane small talk” might develop into an invaluable friendship. And on that note …

… PR Yourself

How you present yourself is key to success and making contacts — you could be extremely hardworking and talented, but without those all-important people skills, you’ll be in danger of slipping under the radar. Remember, you are your best promotional tool. How are you coming across to people? What do your social media accounts consist of — positive, thoughtful content or sarcastic, “FML” posts? Are you dressing smartly for meetings? Are you friendly in new work situations, or do you avoid making chitchat and eye contact? It might seem like you’re being “fake” or “pushy”, but you’re not! A little effort goes a long way with people and can lead to invaluable friendships and business contacts.

Turned envy into inspiration

Instead of being jealous of others’ success and succumbing to social media envy, pick people whose lives or style you admire and focus on how they can inspire you — whilst still being your own success story. Spin those negative feelings into productivity: if there’s a blogger or celeb who seems impossibly glamorous and stylish, adopt aspects of their style into your own wardrobe (while putting your own spin on it). If someone seems to be snapping themselves in tropical locations, why not consider a career in the travel industry, or a role that involves international travel?

Read your way to success

Think of your brain like a computer — whatever information you’re feeding it will determine how it functions. So just as it’s important to diversify your friendship group (see Step 1), your reading matter is just as vital. You don’t have to read self-help books, or “this book can make you rich”-type literature (although these can be very insightful). Just expanding your mind by mixing up your favourite crime thriller with a few classics can make all the difference to how you approach your life and work (as well as give you some much-needed head space when a demanding job is taking its toll). It might even inspire you to pick up a pen yourself…!

Get matched up with a mentor

Ok, so we might be preaching to the choir here, but we cannot stress enough the importance of getting paired up with an expert in your desired field. If you want to get a step on the career ladder, their advice and support can prove invaluable — especially if you don’t have relatives or family connections to fall back on. Most industries can be scary and intimidating when you first enter them, convincing many people to feel they “don’t have what it takes”. A mentor can give you the push you need to help you think otherwise. They can also help you navigate various minefields such as networking, office politics, email etiquette and getting your CV noticed — certain skills that you might not have been taught at school (but at least that algebra will always come in handy, right?!)

Start your 2018 as you mean to go on — find your perfect mentor match by visiting connectmentors.london