’Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. From prioritizing mental health to learning to cook, many folks set goals for the year ahead. A Pew Research Center survey shows three in 10 Americans made resolutions in 2024. The number increases for younger adults, with nearly half of people between the ages of 18 to 29 reporting they made resolutions in 2024.
Many of these resolutions are quickly broken. A survey from Forbes Health/OnePoll found the average resolution lasts 3.74 months. 8% of respondents stuck with their goals for one month, while 22% lasted two months, 22% lasted three months, and 13% lasted four months.
One of the best ways to keep a resolution is through accountability and group support. With people spending a third of their time among coworkers at their workplace, employers are in a good position to help their staff set and keep healthy resolutions. And happier, healthier people make more engaged and productive employees.
Read on to learn how to set achievable New Year’s resolutions at work and why it matters.
Benefits of Setting New Year’s Resolutions at Work
First off, consider why you want to encourage employees to set resolutions at work. What’s the benefit for them and your company? While it may not seem obvious, there are numerous benefits to setting New Year’s resolutions at work:
Lower health care costs
Three of the top five New Year’s resolutions, according to the Forbes Health/OnePoll survey, are to improve fitness, lose weight, and improve diet. These health shifts lower the chances of chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. United Healthcare reports chronic conditions account for 29% of average total employer health care costs.
More productive workforce
Research suggests employee who are in good health perform better than employees who aren’t. In fact, institutes like the National Academy of Medicine and Occupational Safety and Health Administration consider worker well-being an important national health issue.
Enhanced team cohesion and collaboration
When employees set shared goals and support each other’s resolutions, it creates a sense of community within the workplace. This mutual encouragement can lead to stronger interpersonal relationships, improved communication, and a more supportive work environment.
Personal and professional growth
New Year’s resolutions provide a structured approach to continuous improvement. By setting clear, measurable goals, employees can develop new skills, expand their professional capabilities, and increase their personal effectiveness.
Top New Year Work Goals for Employees
When encouraging employees to set New Year’s resolutions, it helps to suggest a few options to spark inspiration. Some of the best New Year work goals for career growth and personal development include:
Learn new skills
This one can be interpreted personally or professionally. Maybe an employee wants to learn how to knit as a way to unwind. Or perhaps they want to learn new skills that will help them grow in their careers, like achieving a certain certification or job shadowing department leaders.
Improve work-life balance
Improving work-life balance encourages employees to rest and recharge so they return to work with renewed energy and focus. Ideas to improve work-life balance include avoiding emails after work hours or taking an hour lunch break away from work every day.
Enhance communication skills
Strong communication is essential in any role. Employees can work on giving clear instructions, actively listening to colleagues, or improving written communication. These skills not only improve collaboration, but also help build stronger relationships across the team. Joining an organization like Toastmasters helps employees gain confidence and public speaking skills.
Set clear career goals
Career planning provides direction and motivation. Employees should take time to reflect on their professional aspirations, create a strategic development plan, and actively seek opportunities for growth within their current organization. Paycor Paths can help identify areas for improvement and develop leaders.
Prioritize mental health at work
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety, costing over $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Mental well-being is crucial for productivity and happiness. Employees might adopt practices like mindfulness, take advantage of mental health days, or access counseling services available through their employee benefits.
New Year’s Resolutions for Teams and Managers
Managers should also set work resolutions to help them more effectively lead recruits, enhance team dynamics, and improve retention. Ideas for manager/team goals include:
Foster a positive work environment
Creating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture is essential for team morale and productivity. Managers can focus on building trust, recognizing employee achievements, and creating spaces where team members feel valued and heard. This might involve regular team check-ins, celebrating individual and collective successes, and actively addressing any workplace challenges that could negatively impact team dynamics.
Encourage team-building activities
Plan intentional activities that help employees connect on a personal level, build trust, and improve collaboration. These activities could range from virtual game nights and team lunches to collaborative problem-solving workshops or volunteer opportunities that allow the team to collaborate outside of traditional work tasks.
Implement feedback mechanisms
Effective communication is a two-way street. Managers should develop robust systems for giving and receiving feedback that feels constructive and supportive. This could include regular one-on-one meetings, anonymous survey tools, quarterly performance reviews, or creating open channels where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and suggestions for improving workplace processes.
Promote professional development
Investing in employee growth demonstrates a commitment to their long-term success. Managers support professional development by creating individual growth plans, providing access to training and educational resources, offering mentorship opportunities, and creating clear pathways for career advancement within the organization. This approach helps employees feel valued, while building a more skilled and motivated team.
How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions
Setting and maintaining professional goals requires more than just good intentions. The key to success lies in creating goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). By implementing a strategic approach to goal-setting, employees significantly increase their chances of turning resolutions into real achievements.
Tracking progress is crucial for maintaining momentum. Employees should utilize various tools and methods to monitor their development, such as digital goal-tracking apps, regular check-ins with managers, or personal journals that document their growth and challenges. These monitoring techniques help individuals stay accountable and provide a clear view of their progress.
To help your workforce stay motivated, create a support system within the workplace, whether through peer groups, mentorship programs, or informal networks of colleagues with similar goals.
Set up work-sponsored initiatives that support common resolutions, such as:
- Book clubs for employees who want to read more
- Meditation room for employees working on mental health
- Walking meetings to encourage physical activity
- Robust wellness benefits and regular reminders to use them
These initiatives not only provide practical support for achieving resolutions, but also demonstrate the organization’s commitment to employee well-being.
How Paycor Helps
When it comes to personal and professional development, Paycor offers numerous tools to support employers and their teams:
- Talent Development Software that enables managers to provide efficient performance reviews based on historical performance data from 1:1s, feedback, and goals.
- Paycor Paths to deliver personalized, scalable, and compelling leadership development that helps grow your frontline managers and future leaders, enhance culture, and increase engagement.
- Career Management Software to support succession planning and internal promotions.
- Benefits Administration Software to reduce complexity and tedious administrative work, so you can focus on building the best benefits packages to help employees care for their physical and mental health.
See Paycor’s solutions in action with a free guided product tour.