New year, new me Where do I start

Were entering not just a new year, but a new decade. Many people find this a meaningful time for reflection and renewed goal setting. Have you been thinking about your New Year’s resolutions? Or things you want to change in your life generally? But youre still not sure what to focus on in 2020? Are you finding it hard to come up with more meaningful resolutions to break away from the conventional ones, like living a healthier lifestyle, or planning to visit a far-away friend? Apparently, you are not the only one facing this challenge. I receive many requests from people to help support them with creating meaningful resolutions that they can stick to. A difficult challenge at first, I thought. But later it dawned on me that many of the goals that people focus on are either too far away from the meaningful stuff they do day-to-day or theyre goals generally associated with the New Years resolution tradition. Forward relevance About 50% of people make New Years resolutions. But only 10% of the people who make them have fulfilled their goals by year-end. There are many reasons why people don’t stick to their resolutions—e.g., a lack of commitment, a dip in motivation, lack of resources, or loss of interest. Though this is difficult to solve on an individual basis, there are some great strategies you can use to help you achieve your goals. One specific strategy I want to highlight in this article to help you fulfill your New Years resolutions is something I call ‘forward relevance.’ Forward relevance is a personal strategy of designing meaningful (actionable) goals that help you create your future self, instead of looking at your past self to overcome deficits or break habits. The first step in this process is to create relevance. A great way to do this is to: (1) find something you are actively engaged in on a daily basis, (2) identify the latest trends within this activity, and (3) connect these trends to the goals you would like to achieve. This way, forward relevance finds goals that are meaningful for you to achieve and relevant to the year you are doing it in. This, in turn, creates a deeper connection between you and your environment, the people involved in helping you achieve your goals, and the timeframe in which you do it.       Personal goals + Relevant issues + Others                                             / Time frame                              = Forward relevance Applying forward relevance to trending events For most of us, work is something we are deeply involved in on a daily basis. So, connecting New Years resolutions to the work environment is a great way to make your goals transcend the self. I want to share with you some key workplace trends along with suggestions for related actionable goals (that youll hopefully find meaningful.) Continuous education As the rate of change is surpassing the rate of learning, people need to keep up with continuous development and education. Global mobility and technology are radically changing what we learn and how we learn. And, as past results are no longer an indicator of future success, continuous education is your gateway to lifetime employability in the 21st century. Forward relevance: Create a mindset for continuous education Actionable goals Identify an area or subject you feel passionate about, but have not learned anything about yet. Commit yourself to continuous learning through taking a couple of online courses. For example, you could complete a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), attend a masterclass, learn on the job, or enroll in a professional degree program. Digital skills gap Digital competencies are becoming one of the most in-demand skillsets by employers today. Every business today is a digital business and, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and the Internet of Things (I.O.T.), digital skills requirements are on the rise. However, fewer people are focusing on or able to fulfill technical skills requirements, leading to a global digital skills gap. Conversely, it is becoming easier to build digital competencies thanks to new online platforms and apps that require less programming and coding knowledge. Forward relevance: Enhance your digital skills in 2020 Actionable goals Take a course in digital marketing, programming, machine learning, or coding. This will be crucial for staying relevant in 2020, and beyond. Build online presence, products, and services, or even algorithms using easy-to-use online platforms and apps. Learn about Hults global programs and future-focused curriculum    Workplace wellbeing Employee wellbeing and health is high on the agenda in 2020 for most organizational leaders. Studies show that happy and healthy employees are more engaged at work, more committed to their jobs and organizations, feel more resilient, and are more productive. In today’s business world, talent is contingent upon organizational survival. Ensuring that companies create a culture in which employees can thrive is critical to organizational success. Initiatives to integrate physical and mental wellbeing into organizational performance management will continue to rise through 2020 and beyond. Forward relevance: Focus on your physical and psychological wellbeing Actionable goals Actively take part in (or organize) group mindfulness, yoga, or running classes to give your health, mind, and physical performance a boost. Create a social media support group to engage others in your wellbeing efforts. Through this you can provide support and strategies to your social networks and make new friends who have similar interests. Combined offline and online strategies are a great way to work on your wellbeing. Precarious work Flexible working conditions, otherwise known as precarious work, have been on the rise for the past ten years. And, according to statistics, theyll only continue to grow. Changes in labor regulation, globalization, technology, and pressures on labor costs, have given way to various flexible work arrangements (e.g., part-time work contracts, telework set-ups, contingency and freelance based work), lowering the number of full-time employees. Studies show that precarious work arrangements have both benefits and disadvantages to organizations and employees. Forward Relevance: Boost your ‘lifetime employability’ Actionable goals Identify and enhance your transferable skills. Work on developing skills that you can use in different organizations or for your own business. Working part-time or on a contract basis can allow you to be more flexible as to when and where you work. Work progressively toward finding the perfect work arrangements to facilitate a good work-life balance. One last note†¦ Finding a meaningful resolution to focus on is just 25% of achieving your goals. Aside from applying forward relevance to help you achieve your goals, download my five effective strategies to help you make them stick! Click here for 5 effective strategies to help you achieve your goals!    Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog about lifelong learning opportunities at Hult.  Or, give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure. Get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you understand business, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .