It’s that time of year when we start looking towards the New Year and wondering what it has in store for us.

When it comes to our career, the New Year is the time when we often start thinking about making a clean break and getting a fresh start by setting New Year goals.

Often this means looking for a new job but setting New Year goals doesn’t necessarily have to be strictly related to looking for a new job. There are plenty of things you can do in your life that will help to make a positive impact not only in your work life but in your personal life, too.

Here are some suggestions for making some changes in your career to help you make your work life more productive and interesting:

1. Start small. If you’re working long hours, start by leaving work 30 minutes earlier than normal. If you bring work home every night, start by taking 1 night off. Work on getting the proper work life balance.

2. Read more. I like to alternate between reading books related to my career and fun books that I read for pleasure. It helps to mix it up a bit and keep things interesting plus it helps me to ensure I keep learning. If you commute to work on the subway or train and have plenty of time on your hands, bring a book. I took the train for almost two years earlier in my career and was always amazed when people took the train and just sat there doing nothing day after day. Use your time effectively and bring a book.

3. Join a gym or find another athletic pursuit to keep in shape. This is especially important if you live in the northern hemisphere and are currently snowed in. In the winter, it can be easy to hide indoors and put on weight waiting for the weather to improve. Keeping in good physical shape not only makes you feel better about yourself, it can provide you with more energy too.

4. Update your resume. You really should be updating your resume regularly and adding in new details as they arise but if you aren’t updating it on a regular basis, do it now. If the ideal job pops up, you’ll be ready to apply right away rather than having to rush to update it. Plus, updating your resume helps you to visually see everything you’ve accomplished recently and lets you see if your career is progressing as smoothly as you’d like.

5. Plan your next vacation. The Christmas period is supposed to be a holiday which is probably why so many people wish you “Happy Holidays” but in reality we’re usually so busy running around doing things to get ready for it, we don’t have time to relax. Start thinking now about your next holiday and where you’ll go. So many professionals end up putting off holidays and accumulating vacation time year after year, then they wonder why they hate work so much and always feel tired.

6. Learn to become a better networker. Networking – whether casually or for business purposes – is a very powerful tool that most people neglect. Don’t look at networking as something that needs to produce tangible results immediately, simply decide to consciously get out more, talk to people that you meet and keep in touch with them. You’ll be amazed at how trading business cards with other people and sending follow up emails with your contact details in your email signature can open new doors for you. I’ve received return emails from people one year after first emailing them! They kept my email on file and when they needed to contact me, simply replied to the email I sent them a year earlier.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.

Visit Carl's website to separate yourself from other job searchers: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com

Sign up for The Effective Career Planner, Carl’s free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html

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