The New Year resolution you are avoiding to make

What New Year resolution are you avoiding to set in 2024? For many individuals, the new year was an opportunity to renew their ‘vows’ and adopt all the traditional New Year goals. According to research, the top New Year resolutions for 2024 are to improve fitness, improve finances, improve mental health, lose weight, improve diet, make more time for loved ones, stop smoking, and learn a new skill.

These New Year resolutions are waiting to be broken by the end of March. The afore-mentioned list has not changed much. It’s always better to choose a single goal. Setting a single goal and focusing on it helps one achieve it.

Here is the question I have for you: Is there a New Year resolution that you are avoiding – a project, a decision, a commitment that you are unwilling to take on at this moment? The follow-up question is: what are the costs and benefits of delaying this decision?

One resolution that is critical to our well-being, but we don’t often pursue with intentionality is ‘to pursue our vocation with passion and enjoy it’. I think that we can no longer avoid making that our focus.

You may have been working for two or three decades or are probably about to retire and have accepted the chore that is called work. Some have accepted that going through the daily grind without much joy and meaning is OK so long as they can pay the bills. No! You can do better. Our profession should bring fulfilment, not stress and deteriorating mental health.

We may be experiencing economic uncertainty, but given the progress we have made and our options in terms of what we do and how we work – either virtual or remote, we have an incredible opportunity to pursue our vocations with meaning and joy and impact our communities.

For many people in the world, work is no longer as physically demanding and dangerous to human health as it was a century ago. Today, every individual has a channel connected to over a billion people and a tool that makes it possible to work from anywhere in the world and offer our products and services to anyone, everywhere.

Given the opportunities that abound and the freedom to choose our vocation, one might expect that men and women will find joy and meaning in their work. Unfortunately, the employee engagement statistics tell a worrying story. In its State of the Global Workplace Report 2023, Gallup concludes that globally 23 percent of employees are engaged at work. The majority of employees – 59 percent – are ‘quiet quitting’ or doing the bare minimum. Many would not doubt this report given their own experience in the workplace. Several professionals have given up on their jobs. They have no joy or fulfilment and are looking for the next thing. They show up because of the surveillance system and the pay check.

There are several reasons for the high number of unengaged employees. My intention is not to analyse the situation or to attribute blame. I aim to encourage professionals to resolve to find meaning and enjoy the work they do for 40 to 70 hours a week.

Here are your options; 

Option A: Act on your dreams

You may have more to offer, but you are limited by your work situation. Your work environment may not be healthy for you. You expected the situation to improve, but things have remained the same for the past couple of years. Are you going to wait for another decade? What will make your heart sing? I am not asking you to resign today. However, in this hour, you can resolve to plan and take actions that will enable you to start your dream twelve months from today.

Option B: Become your own boss

If you love your job but your compensation or your boss’ attitude determines your level of engagement, then I will encourage you not to avoid resolving to become more engaged with your work. As one leader said: “They pretend to pay, and they also pretend to work”. Unfortunately, you cannot pretend to work. You cannot hone your craft if you are pretending all the time. How do you find joy and meaning if you are not engaged in the work? Resolve to take responsibility. You are answerable to yourself. Work for your inner boss.

Option C: Care for what you have

If you do not love the job and are not ready to move because you love the pay check, then make peace with it and enjoy your labour so long as you remain in the role. Commit to engage fully on the job. Remember, the grass is always greener on the other side. Accept and enjoy what you have as you support your organisation to achieve its goals.

The Bible admonishes us to do our daily work with all joy as unto the Lord, no matter the vocations we pursue. This is good for our well-being. Finding meaning in our work and doing it as unto the Lord gives us the greatest joy.

Which option will you take? You have to act now. The world is waiting for your song of significance, and only you can sing that song. You must resolve to serve your generation with all your gifts and talents through your chosen vocation. Let’s work together to break the engagement epidemic and create a happier world where we all thrive in our vocations.

Happy New Year! Be of good cheer!

>>>The writer is the Founder of the CEO Accelerator Program (https://ceoacceleratorprogram.org) and Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory (www.thelearningtemple.com). He is a strategist, executive educator and coach who guides leaders and organisations to accelerate learning and performance. He specialises in leadership development, executive coaching and strategy consulting. If you have questions or ideas to share, kindly write to [email protected].

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