Photo by Lori Ann of MamaWit

I don’t normally do New Year’s resolutions. I certainly have hopes and aspirations at the start of every new year–exercise more, go to bed earlier, eat fewer tortillas, watch less tv, etc.–but I never resolve to strictly adhere to them throughout the following twelve months.

I do however, feel compelled to at least gather a few library-related aspirations together. I spent much of last year wishing I’d done things a bit differently at work, so this year I’m going to stop wishing and start making some changes.

1. Write more. When my Google calendar alerts pop up, I pay attention. So I’m going to schedule some writing time for myself every week. It could be a blog post, work on an opinion piece, or if I’m lucky, the start of a new scholarly article or book chapter. I love writing but I don’t often make the time to do it. I don’t want to squash spontaneous inspiration, but when that doesn’t happen, sometimes you just need to write something. Period.

2. Stop trying to multi-task. You don’t do it well. Despite my best efforts. I cannot blog-email-Facebook-read-Spotify-listen at once. One thing at a time is a good rule of thumb for me.

3. Free yourself from the shackles of email. I don’t need to have my email tab open at all times. I don’t need to reply to every email right away. I can delete messages and will, frequently. Sometimes a phone call is the right thing to do.

4. Follow through. I have several projects going on at the moment, and rather than take on new ones, I want to make sure that what I’m working on now is either completed or well-maintained. New and shiny is always exciting, but sometimes the familiar can surprise and fulfill you.

5. Value your time. This one is vague, I know, but it’s intentionally so. As librarians we’re so conditioned to be grateful when colleagues and patrons want our help that we often sacrifice our own time to help others. Yes, we are in a helping profession, but we are professionals with our own responsibilities and interests. To protect my own peace of mind and stave off burnout, I will place a premium on my own time, both at work and with my family.

What are your work-related resolutions, aspirations, or hopes for the new year?