To ring in every year, I like to share some ideas and tactics for reflecting and goal setting. From habit building to interrogating the sustainability of gym memberships and dry Januarys, setting intention for career aspirations and healthy relationships is an important way for individuals and communities to realize our potential. For example, the Waysfinder framework is also an awesome tool for flexibly planning your worklife. When we set goals and build habits we are investing in caring for ourselves, too.

Investing in caring

A few months ago Josh Bersin podcasted that caring – about ourselves, each other, and, specifically, workers in employers’ care – will be “one of the secrets of 2024.” As the economy experiences more radical changes spurred on by the pandemic, Bersin underscores the importance of flexibility and empathy from leaders, especially ones who have employees in our care. He refers to instances where some companies lost their way as they emerged from the pandemic by emphasizing productivity and time-in-desk, as opposed to enabling autonomy and recognizing the strong correlations between care and safety with engagement, happiness, and performance. Ultimately, Bersin encourages individuals and organizations to prioritize care in 2024, both in terms of how we treat each other and as a strategic business practice for long-term success.

Care for yourself

While it might feel counterintuitive, especially for leaders at work, parents, folks in the helping profession, and everyone else who is purposed with caring for others, the first person we need take care of is ourselves. This said, when we care about others our mental health improves, too. During one of his daily meditation lessons, Jay Shetty pontificated that being kind to ourselves inspires motivation and drives results. From his perspective, self-compassion lights a fire that warms us, as opposed to burning us.

We are better positioned to help others when we’ve “put the oxygen mask on ourselves” – engaging in simple self care practices, such as moving more, eating well, prioritizing sleep, and setting boundaries boosts well-being, enabling better support for others.

For me, this means bouncing back from my torn Achilles by prioritizing exercise that builds strength and flexibility, while also staying within my middle-aged-man limitations (or at least testing them with more calculated risks). I’m blessed by living so close to nature and the ocean, so another self-care tactic I’ll activate in 2024 is spending time in nature, ideally by or in the water, every day.

Care for others

Bersin contends that 2024 should still be counted as a year of recovery – emotional, psychological, socioeconomic, and physical – from the pandemic. Human relationships are what drive connection and progress in communities, especially at work, so, irrespective of our roles, folks should commit to understanding, listening, and relating to others with care because such actions are fundamental to organizational performance and community wellbeing.

In the face of technological and geopolitical changes, fostering a culture of care becomes essential to ease fears, uncertainties, and confusion among employees. Doing this at work matters because peoples’ jobs can and should be something that sparks joy and generates safety and belonging in our lives.

For me, this means being (1) fully present with my family, friends, and colleagues and, if that’s not possible, then being (2) radically authentic about what’s distracting my focus and what I’ll do to get it back. It also means saying “yes, but…” (a more positive way to frame “no”) more – I have the problem-solving skills, creativity, and strong relationships to fight what Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao call “addition sickness”, but I need more discipline to uncomplicate work for others. Perhaps framing it as caring about peoples’ health and wellbeing as opposed to continuous improvement or operational excellence is the right way to reframe this need.

The world is changing faster than ever. People are, at best, unsettled by worklife’s rapid, disruptive pace. We’ve all logged on to Teams meetings and witnessed the fatigue and fear in peoples’ faces as they process yet another disruption. Whether we are grappling with AI, new business models, intersectionality at work, or the new superpowers required for leaders, the first thing we need to do for ourselves and then demonstrate to others is that we care.