5 Realistic Career Resolutions

5 Realistic Career Resolutions : Lose that excess blubber. Bake muffins for your co-workers every day. Watch less “Dancing With The Stars” and read more Scotia Bank Giller Prize winners like “The Sentimentalists.”

Why is it that we tend to set unachievable goals for ourselves as the New Year approaches? According to some, the tradition of these resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. “Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future.”

Two faced or not, you can resolve to boost your career realistically in 2011. Here are 5 ways to get you started:

1. Take More Personal Responsibility For Your Career

You don’t get ahead by sitting back and waiting for others to control your livelihood. Write down some thoughts on where you’d like to be a year from now. What job title would you like to have? How much do you want to be making? It starts with setting your sites on the attainable.

2. Market Yourself More Effectively To Your Boss

Have you heard of “invisible marketing?” It’s what happens when you achieve good things at work but neglect to let others know. Resolve to send an e-mail to your boss and maybe a few choice co-workers next time you save your employer money, increase sales, enhance efficiencies, or prevent disaster.

3. Say “Yes” At Least Once To Something New

You can get pretty stale if you don’t stretch your wings from time to time. So accept a challenging new assignment, or an invitation to sit on a committee. Take on a project that will teach you skills and knowledge you want to develop more.

4. Say “No” At Least Once To Something Bothersome

Are you the one who always gets asked to stay late, come in early, do the grunt work, and smile till it hurts? Have you been pressured to do something unethical for your company? You do have the option of “strategically refusing.” To do so, decline a request by showing how it’s in the person’s best interest not to involve you this time.

“Say Tina, can you rush that report for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow? I realize it’s already 5 p.m.”

“Actually boss, I’d love to. But if I do I won’t be able to get you those sales figures you need for your big client meeting at noon.”

5. Blame Others Less

Those darned jerks in upper management. Dim-witted administrative staff. Why can’t everyone just let me do my job right? If you find yourself lashing out at others on a regular basis, maybe it’s time to examine your role in the scheme of things. Consider whether your attitude, performance or words are having an undesirable effect on the people around you. Chances are, they do.

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