There is never a bad time to challenge yourself to develop new habits that help you personally and professionally. There are many “challenges” out there to help you eat better, exercise, improve your mental wellness, etc.
We want to challenge you to do the following 20 things over the next 20 days to help your professional development. These small tasks/steps can help you develop better habits or improve existing habits that can help you in your professional life. These daily challenges include tasks to help you with mental clarity, personal and cyberspace de-cluttering, practicing thankfulness, and keeping things updated etc. (Such as your resume and network.)
- Day 1: Declutter your workspace
- Day 2: Check your LinkedIn profile to make sure it is up to date
- Day 3: Take a walk outdoors
- Day 4: Unsubscribe from at least one junk email that clutters your inbox
- Day 5: Make time for a wholesome breakfast
- Day 6: Go an entire day without complaining
- Day 7: Take a social media sabbatical
- Day 8: Do one thing you’ve been putting off
- Day 9: Give a co-worker a thoughtful compliment
- Day 10: Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
- Day 11: Schedule a solo lunch date
- Day 12: Print a copy of your most recent resume and check to see if it needs updating
- Day 13: Write down short and long-term professional goals
- Day 14: Write a thank you card to someone who helped you at work this week
- Day 15: Go to bed an hour earlier than usual
- Day 16: Wake up 30 minutes earlier
- Day 17: Check to make sure your computer(s) and phones are updated
- Day 18: Read an article relating to your current profession
- Day 19: Make a new connection on LinkedIn
- Day 20: Get rid of 5 things you never use
4 Tips to Help You Stay on Track With the Challenge
- Print the list of the 20-day challenge and cross off each day as you complete the task
- Find a challenge buddy to help you stay accountable
- Don’t be hard on yourself if you miss a day
- Reflect on each task and how you think it can/has helped you
Once you have completed the 20 days, take time to do a short reflection of the challenge. Ask yourself the following questions: "What did I learn?," "What new habits can I add to my routine?," "What could have I done differently?"