Personal New Year’s resolutions are great, but have you thought of your work New Year’s resolutions for 2025? Most of us spend about a third of our lives at work, so positive changes made in the workplace are bound to have an effect on other aspects of our lives.
As we ring in 2025, it is the perfect time to focus on what improvements can be made going forward whether you are in the office, working from home, or doing a hybrid of both. In order to work productively and efficiently there must be a healthy balance between your work life and personal life. Below we’ve highlighted some great ideas for New Year goals for work in 2025:
9 Work New Year’s Resolutions for 2025
1. Tidy Up
Whether you work from an office desk or from a home office space, it is important to start 2025 by tidying up. Put away or dispose of last year’s notes, documents, and paperwork. Anything you think you might need, save a digital copy of it on your drive/server. You’ll be surprised at how good you feel afterward. Getting rid of office clutter is a rewarding, fresh start to the new year. A decluttered and innovative workspace helps you be more productive and declutters your brain as well. If anything, make this one of your top work New Year’s resolutions.
2. Improve Work-Life Balance
The importance of work-life balance can be expressed in Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth’s old saying:
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.
In other words, you can’t have one without the other. A life with only work is unenjoyable, and a life with only play is unfulfilling. Everyone’s idea of work-life balance is different, but achieving work-life balance generally means that you’re able to complete your work duties without spending more than your allotted 40 hours per week. If you find that you’re spending late nights at work, it may be time to rethink your work duties and talk to your manager about responsibilities.
We asked our employees what their goals for the new year at work were, and an overwhelming majority said work-life balance. Remote work especially can be draining according to our Virtual Assistant Lara Campagnolle:
Working from home means my professional space overlaps with my personal one—I see work reminders constantly, which makes it hard to mentally unplug. To address this, I’m focusing on creating clear boundaries, such as designating specific areas of my home for work and silencing notifications outside of working hours.
3. Take A Lunch Break Every Day
When there are important deadlines due or last-minute changes to a project needed by end of the day, preparing and eating a healthy lunch usually gets put on the back burner. Oftentimes, many employees will not even take lunch due to their busy schedules. It is even more difficult stepping away as an employee working remotely, but that is where work-life balance comes into play.
According to a survey conducted by Tork, employees who take a lunch break every day score higher on a number of engagement metrics compared to those who do not take regular lunch breaks. That is why this year, it is important you schedule out time every day to step away from work and enjoy lunch. If you are a manager, consider enforcing a mandatory lunch break for your employees to ensure they are taking the mid-day break they need. And even if you don’t feel like eating lunch, go for a walk, just take a break!
4. Go Above and Beyond
The position you hold could potentially grow into something bigger and better. One of the most important New Year’s resolutions ideas to consider is to push yourself at work. Do the extra projects you wouldn’t normally do. Small tasks will add up fast and make you look like a new and improved employee and possible promotions could be on the horizon. As a leader, you can go above and beyond for your team as well. Remember to set goals and hold yourself to the same standards as your employees.
Set achievable new year work goals for yourself. For example, if you often don’t speak up in meetings, try to make it a point to do so. If you feel you speak too much, maybe encourage others to offer their thoughts more often.
5. Learn a New Skill
Whether it’s mastering a new software, honing leadership abilities, or improving communication, learning new skills keeps work engaging and sets the stage for greater success for both you and your company. This New Year’s resolution idea is perfect if you’re looking to advance in your career or make the jump to a different position! Consider adopting transferable skills that are useful in many positions such as technological skills, communication skills, and more. Our Creative Director of TeamBondingCSR, Baylee Goldstein explains her professional resolution for the new year:
Improving my speech skills has been an ongoing goal, and in 2024 I took a stand-up comedy class to learn about pacing, audience engagement, and the power of pauses. Strong communication will help me present ideas more effectively, engage clients, and lead with confidence. This year, I plan to refine these skills further by seeking feedback and studying skilled speakers to enhance my delivery.
Looking to improve your public speaking skills like Baylee? Teamprov is a great choice for teams to grow comfortable speaking in front of groups!
6. Improve Time Management Skills
Employees who can learn to prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, and minimize distractions can work more efficiently and achieve their goals with greater ease. Effective time management leads to better work-life balance, improved focus, and the ability to tackle projects without feeling overwhelmed. Make this one of your goals for the new year at work by setting aside focus time and creating small goals each day to accomplish work before crunch time. Time management strategies are endless, but a newer concept is using artificial intelligence to help make everyday tasks easier and quicker. Our Controller, Nancy Fitzgerald, is taking this approach as her 2025 professional resolution:
I am hoping to integrate more automation into the accounting department to make my life easier.
7. Build Deeper Connections with Coworkers
By taking the time to engage with colleagues on a personal level—whether through shared experiences, active listening, or simply reaching out more regularly—employees create a positive and supportive workplace culture. Not only that, but when employees prioritize this as a 2025 work New Year’s resolution, the positive effects will trickle into everyday work. Teams that are more comfortable around each other can more easily problem solve and have greater overall productivity.
8. Plan Employee Activities for Your Team
Something you can’t forget on your goal sheet, are your ideas for team activities for the year. List out some ideas that you and your team can do together. Whether it be a simple lunch, holiday parties, giving back to the community, a fun event, or a corporate retreat, the options are endless. Allowing your team to grow together is the best New Year’s resolution for 2025 of all.
9. Be Positive
Work on becoming a more uplifting and optimistic worker as your new year’s resolution. It will rub off on others in the office and help boost everyone’s mood. Be the positivity that your coworkers need at work and look forward to being around. Make sure you are focusing on your mental and physical wellness. and celebrating yourself for even the smallest of successes. While you make a change for yourself, you’ll be helping others change around you.
Start by really focusing on a couple of these New Year’s resolutions ideas for work, and then cover the rest. And, of course, add your own to the list! Wait and see what the New Year will bring to you.
Accomplish Your 2025 New Year’s Resolutions with TeamBonding
Skip the boring workplace party this New Year’s and opt for an unforgettable team experience. TeamBonding offers fun and exciting programs from icebreakers that make a great New Year’s party addition to fully hosted Happy Hours, Trivia games, New Year’s resolution activities, and more. Check out our winter activities for more ideas or reach out to one of our expert event coordinators.
