Why make New Year’s resolutions? In part, to make next year better than this one. The problem with formal resolutions is that they can become a stick to beat yourself with, when you turn out to be human after all and miss the mark. A better plan for 2016 might be to stop doing the things that are squandering your energy and making you less happy and productive, both at work and at home. In this week’s roundup, find a reminder about the things you actually don’t owe your colleagues, family, and friends; plus a few online personality tests that are worth the time, and the soft skills to develop, in order to succeed at work.
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Marc Chernoff at Marc and Angel Hack Life: 12 Things You Don’t Owe Anyone
“I promise you, there will never be a perfect time to do anything in your life,” Chernoff writes. “Nothing will ever feel 100% certain or make perfect sense to you and everyone else. There will never be a perfect time to fall in love, or to travel the world. You will never have enough training, enough preparation, or enough money. And despite this, even when you feel ready to take a bold step into the unknown, others will likely try to talk you out of it. Because they won’t feel ready themselves, and your ambition and bravery will challenge their levels of comfort. But you don’t owe them an explanation, or any other personal sacrifice you don’t want to make.”
Among the things you don’t owe: a rationalization for investing in yourself, the authority to validate you, or a “yes” when you need to say “no” – plus nine more really important things you might be giving away unnecessarily, to the detriment of your happiness and success.
Anne Bogel at The Modern Mrs. Darcy: 5 Online Personality Quizzes That Are Actually Worth Taking
“We’ve seen the quizzes all over the internet,” Bogel writes. “Which Ryan Gosling character is your soulmate? Which Friday Night Lights guy should you date? Are you more Lorelai or Rory Gilmore? Forget those, and go for these 5 quizzes that are actually worth your time.”
After all, if you don’t know what motivates you, it’s hard to figure out what you should be doing for a living or when to make the subtle changes in your career and life that will ultimately make you feel fulfilled. Bogel’s list of worthwhile quizzes is here; her explanation of why the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of them is here.
Alison Doyle at About.com Job Searching: Top 10 Communication Skills
We talk a lot about developing skill sets in order to get hired, but when we do, we’re usually referring to concrete skills like learning to code or staying up-to-date on the latest software. But what about the softer skills that also make a big difference?
“The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, and staff is essential, no matter what industry you work in,” Doyle explains. “Workers in the digital age must know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone, email and social media.”
Here’s her list of the skills you need, in order to be a success.
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