The year is almost over and the new year is coming fast. New Year’s resolutions can help you to focus on both personal and business goals by setting them and sticking to them. Leaders can also use New Year’s resolutions to set goals for growth. Here are five resolutions we think leaders should set for themselves this new year!

1. Feedback is a gift, make sure you give it!

People often think of feedback negatively, but if you use it as a data point to improve yourself, you can change that association with positivity. Resolve to ask for feedback regularly and provide input when requested. Make sure whoever you’re interacting with is open to feedback as well as yourself when seeking more. You can learn more about yourself and may find things you never thought of to improve yourself for the future.

2. Listening can add insight

Are you truly listening to people when they speak to you? Take the resolution of actively hearing what people are saying and see how your perspective changes over time with new insights from your conversations. Not only will it reveal new ideas, but you can also get buy-in and trust from the people you listen to wholeheartedly.

3. Bring a Spirit of Curiosity to Everything

Coming into situations with curiosity allows you to ask questions and learn through a different lens. By following a resolution of bringing curiosity to everything you do, you can find new ideas and learn more about everything you do. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”.

4. Hone in your Emotional Intelligence Skills

Setting up a resolution for improving your Emotional Intelligence can help take your relationships to the next level. Learning your triggers and the triggers of others you interact with can positively affect your ability to connect with others. Understanding emotional states and other EQ skills can be acquired through practice and discipline and can help you take relationships to the next level.

5. Read More Books!

Reading holds a wealth of knowledge with idea’s you may have never thought possible! Make an effort to read more and learn about subjects like EQ, Leadership or anything that interests you. Taking the time to read also helps you to relax and become enthralled with a topic or story. As Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”.

There are many more resolutions you can make for the new year so make sure to think about what matters most within your world and create decisions for your future. Remember that you have to put in the effort to accomplish these resolutions to fulfill your goals!