Ways To Spend Your Holiday Break To Get A Jump On 2018
Are you getting some time off for the holidays this year? The week between Christmas and New Year’s can be a great time to relax and unwind. It can also be a good week to get a jump on next year’s goals. So here are five ideas for things you can do during the holiday week to kick start your plans for 2018.
1. If your 2018 goal is to get ahead in your career, update your LinkedIn profile. This is something you should ideally do every quarter as you assess your accomplishments. But certainly by the end of the year you should be adding key achievements. If you have more time, consider launching a personal website. Websites are an easy and affordable way to showcase your work.
2. If your 2018 goal is to restart or switch careers, have lunch with a former colleague. For many people looking to restart or transition their careers the hardest part can be figuring out what types of jobs to focus on. What skills are important now? What companies are hiring and what are they hiring for? You can certainly research these questions, but nothing beats information directly from people working in the industry now. Having lunch with a former colleague can give you valuable information about the state of the industry, remind you of what you did (and didn’t) like about your former or current career and give you insights into directions you can take.
4. If your 2018 goal is to be more creative, spend a day at a museum. This doesn’t have to be an art museum, though it certainly could be! Creativity is a part of every type of human endeavor so spending a day at a museum focused on science or history will also help to expand your mind and change how you think about the world.
5. If your 2018 goal is to be healthier, spend a day focused on your body. A workout might be one idea, but you could also include a massage or time in the steam room. Many of us treat our bodies as a mere vehicle for our brains. Taking a day to focus on your physical well-being can be very restorative. As part of your body day pay attention to what you put in your body, too. Drink plenty of water and cook an indulgent meal.
You can customize these based on how much time you have – any of them could be accomplished in a few hours, but you could also spend several days on them. You can pick just one to focus on or consider a couple of them. Any of them will start your year focused and re-energized to make the most out of 2018.