By Rachel Tirabassi
Are you hoping to improve your career in 2019 but not sure where to start? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Check out the five resolutions you need to make this year.
1. Get social
Creating a professional social media account is a great way to find new clients and job opportunities. The best social media platforms to market your skills are Twitter and LinkedIn. If you’re really serious about creating a strong social media presence, some transcriptionists have reported success with a business page on Facebook. Make sure to show your awesome personality and shine light on all your accomplishments. Post your insights, discuss industry news and let future employers know who you really are.
Make sure to give us a follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter too!
2. Make More Money
Who wouldn’t want to make more money in the New Year? Even billionaires want more. If this is one of your goals for 2019, you’ll need to devise a plan and stick with it. Break up your main goal into smaller goals that will add up in a big way. For example, send your resume out three times a week or contact a potential client daily. If you have a good resume, try applying to places like Rev.com or Allegis Transcription.
3. Find the Right Work-Life Balance
When you work from home, it’s impossible to not take your work home with you…it lives with you. It’s important to set boundaries for work, family, and “you time” to avoid stressful last minute deadlines and burnout. If you live with active kids or roommates, try to set working hours for yourself each day. For example, you can set your working hours 2 hours before the rest of the household wakes up and an hour after everyone is in bed. This way, you can have uninterrupted time to get your work done without life’s daily distractions.
4. Stay Organized
For some people (myself especially) staying organized isn’t a New Year’s resolution, it is a lifelong struggle. It can be difficult to stay organized because life is unpredictable, and your career is always changing. Organizational tricks that worked for you in 2018, may not work for you in 2019.
This year make sure to create a daily routine that improves your time management. An example of this might be creating a household chore schedule, investing in a planner, or using a family calendar to keep track of everyone’s busy schedules.
Breaking in to a new routine may be difficult so make sure to give yourself monthly organizational reviews. On the last day of each month, reflect on how you handled your new routine. Did life go according to plan? Did you avoid any last minute deadlines? If not, make the proper adjustments to get back on track for the next 30 days. It takes more than a day to get truly organized!
5. Reduce Distractions
Let’s be real, its impossible to prevent all distractions. Well, you probably could, but you’d have to lock yourself in a sound-proof room with no windows or internet connection. (Even then, I bet some of you could find something!) Be aware of what distracts you and keep yourself on track. In order to create the best environment for work, you must:
- Create a dedicated work space
- Don’t use this room or designated desk for anything but work. You’ll be able to get in work-mode whenever you’re there.
- Invest in your office
- Quality internet and a reliable computer are a must.
- Create daily to-do lists
- Quickly jot down each thing that needs to be done in order of priority. If a distraction does occur, you’ll have your most important tasks complete.
- Set ground rules with your family or roommates
- Who says “Do not disturb” signs are only for hotel rooms? Whenever your household sees that sign on your door, tell them to not bother you.
- Stay on task
- Check your phone, email and messages at designated times throughout the day to avoid getting sidetracked from the task at hand.
- Invest in headphones
- Quality headphones can help all work from home professionals stay on track, but as transcriptionist, they are life savers. Check out our headset blog to find the right pair for you.
The new year is a perfect time to drop old, bad habits and create new, productive ones. Reflect on last year’s lows and think of ways to prevent your past mistakes. Don’t let your resolutions be forgotten by February and change every aspect of your life for the better! There’s no better time to start than now.
