The new year brings the promise of fresh starts, lofty goals, and a slew of resolutions that we vow to keep (until mid-January, at least).
While some of us are pledging to hit the gym or learn a new skill, let’s not forget the quirks and chaos of office life that could use a little tweaking, too.
Here are 25 tongue-in-cheek resolutions for 2025 that might just make work more manageable this year – and maybe even a little fun.
WORK THINGS
1. Excel at Excel.
This is the year we stop pretending we know how to use pivot tables and actually figure out what they do. And no, they have nothing to do with moving a couch up a flight of stairs.
2. Get to work on time.
Sure, being “fashionably late” to morning meetings is a vibe, but maybe 2025 is the year we show up on time. Let’s try it for a week, at least.
3. Get off work before the sun sets.
On the same note, leave work on time. Sunlight is great for your circadian rhythm.
4. Decline at least one unnecessary meeting a week.
Let’s start normalising “No, I don’t think I need to be there – I’ll sit this one out.”
5. Use fewer exclamation marks in emails.
“Thanks!!!” communicates great enthusiasm but one “!” does the same job without seeming overly eager.
6. Change that virtual meeting background.
I’m not saying everyone should turn on that cat face filter but if you can take 10 minutes to customise your Genshin Impact character, you can swap out that drab wallpaper you’ve had from the COVID days.
7. Perfect the art of muting and unmuting.
No one needs to hear the ambient sounds of your pet parrot swearing in dialect during the all-hands call.
Likewise, making your colleagues lip-read the start of your every sentence is not as fun a game as you think.
8. Stop using “Let me get back to you on that” as a filler.
Replace it with “Here’s the actual plan” and watch productivity soar. (Hopefully.)
9. Read Slack messages before replying.
No more panic-typing halfway through a thread only to find out it’s already been taken care of by another colleague.
10. Take all allotted vacation days – and actually disconnect from work.
They’re there for a reason, and no, “staying in the loop” is not a reason to check Slack during your Bali trip.
11. Stop procrastinating on big tasks.
Start with the difficult thing first, and your day feels a lot more productive. Or at least find better excuses than “I’ll start after lunch.”
12. Say “no” without apologising.
“No, I can’t take on another project right now.” Period. No “sorry” required, because it’s not your fault.
13. Stop pretending to take notes during meetings.
One day someone is going to glance over your shoulder and find out it’s a doodle of Jungkook.
THINGS ABOUT WORK
14. Stop eating lunch over the keyboard.
I know it’s a space “bar”, but let’s agree eating and drinking over your laptop won’t leave Wayne from IT over the moon when he has to vacuum out the crumbs.
15. Finally organise the desk clutter.
It’s not really an organised mess if it takes eight minutes for you to locate your mouse under a pile of receipts from 2019.
16. Learn a fun fact about each colleague you work with.
There might be more than meets the eye to Wayne, IT guy by day and death metal lead guitarist by night.
17. Bring snacks to share.
Nothing says “team player” like a surprise bag of cookies in the pantry. Even if it’s just so your office approval ratings go up.
18. Keep that succulent alive.
Succulents are famously hardy plants but somehow your green fingers have the Midas touch – except instead of gold it turns into a dead plant.
Stop overwatering it and put it near some light.
19. Retrieve that half-drank oat latte from the office fridge.
It’s quite unlikely you’ll ever find diluted coffee from the last financial year appetising. Throw it out and make room for the fresh oat latte you’ll sip twice and stash for this year.
20. Take lunch breaks sans social media.
We’re going somewhere where there’s no mobile network connection (e.g. the City Square basement food court), and you and I and Wayne are going to talk – face to face.
21. Compliment a colleague’s work at least once a week.
Bonus points if it’s not followed by “By the way, can you help me with something?”
22. Check in on teammates having a rough day.
Sometimes, a simple “Hey, you doing okay?” means more than you think. Offer coffee as backup.
23. Get creative with those out-of-office messages
Turn your auto-reply into a moment of joy: Add a clever dad joke, a fun fact, or even a link to your favorite podcast. Because if they can’t reach you, at least they’ll leave with a smile – or something to think about.
24. Pace yourself for the year.
As Sun Tze said: Start slow leading into the Chinese New Year break, peak in May, sustain till November and coast into December.
Okay, Sun Tze didn’t really say that. But the point is: It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
25. Actually … enjoy work?
Just a little. Even if it’s just the free snacks in the pantry or the one coworker who gets your jokes.
