The countdown has begun to Quitters’ Day, the fateful Friday in January when many New Year’s resolutions start to wobble and fall by the wayside. The date was pinpointed by Strava, the social network for runners and cyclists, who used their app to analyse more than 31.5 million activities across the planet. They found the second Friday of January was when willpower among new users wavered and activities logged on their app fell by almost a fifth. 

The good news is there are surefire ways to stick to resolutions, whatever they may be… and these same tactics could also help boost your career. First, it pays to remember it can take up to 66 days to instil a new habit, so it’s no surprise many of us give up too quickly. But if you recognise this and can hold on until March, chances are you’ll find that resolution, be it early morning jogging or decluttering your emails, is so much easier to stick to because it’s become second nature. 

Another common reason for failure is setting unrealistic goals. Signing up for a marathon in six months is rather ambitious if you haven’t pulled on a pair of running shoes since high school. A 5k fun run, on the other hand, is certainly achievable and knowing this will keep you on course.  

Similarly, it’s important to keep daily track of progress. A diary of every extra mile cycled, lap of the pool swum or doughnut declined can boost motivation and will continue to support and inspire you way beyond this Friday. 

Meanwhile, people who work out with friends are estimated to do up to 20% more exercise – and finding a partner or a group to share your routine not only maximises all of the effort, it’s a great way to meet friends. 

All of these tactics to beat Quitters’ Day give you new qualities to use in your daily life…and also in your work. The perseverance and determination to reach set goals are seen as gold stars by employers on any CV, while having the focus to recognise them reach longer term ambitions will see promotion prospects increase. 

There are also specific resolutions that can still be made for 2019 that will increase your prospects of landing a new job. For example, you might promise yourself you’ll learn new skills that can boost your workplace performance. This could be through online training programmes or night classes – both options are ideal for those who need flexible hours to study due to current work or family commitments. 

Volunteering is another way to resolve that 2019 will be the year you broaden your horizons, gain experience in different sectors and practise your networking skills – all of which are invaluable for landing a new career. 

Finally, one place you will always find 100% dedication to a better career is online, where there is a huge variety of opportunities to put your 2019 resolutions to work.