If you’re anything like me, New Year is not the holiday most conducive to life-changing plans. It’s cold, it’s dark, there’s an abundance of bad food and drink still floating around. Resolutions are usually bound to fail.

Personal ones at least.

So I no longer bother. Instead, I try to make professional resolutions and they have proved much more successful! Last year, still working part-time but with my son in full-time education, I used this (from PRgirlmanifesto on Instagram) as my inspiration:

And it worked! I took opportunities as they arose, made some opportunities of my own and now I have a little list of achievements to be proud of including:

• BLOG: Dedicate time to developing my writing skills, networking and positioning myself in the local industry by blogging at least once a week - tick
• CIPR: Dedicate time to getting involved in the Regional Committee, helping run local events and communications and keeping my own CPD level at Accredited Practitioner stage for the second year - tick
• ME-TIME: Take more time for myself personally to spend with people who make me laugh, who remind me I’m not “just a mum”, enjoy good food, experience new things (like Salsa dancing!) - tick
• BOOK: Sit down and finally write a novel. One story from start to finish, plot and character development, editing skills; create something I would want to read - almost finished (50,000 words ain’t bad!)

Looking at how well that went I’ve decided to do some more professional resolutions this year, convinced if I commit it to the ‘wilds of the web’, I’ll be more likely to finish it because you’ll all remind me come 2015!

This year it’s time to achieve all the little things professionally that float around in the ether, never quite committing themselves to the diary (or the bank balance!) such as:

• After my first guest lecture at the University of Ulster in February 2015 (through the CIPR, which I’m too excited about) I want to take/create more opportunities to mentor the next generation of PR whizz kids
• I want to continue my work with the CIPR Committee as it goes through a time of change, creating useful events and training, encouraging more people to benefit from membership
• Complete the Diploma in Digital Marketing becoming formally qualified
• Finish the novel and have the guts to let someone read it!

What would be on your Career Bucket List for 2015?