Year after year, people around the globe make the same old New Year’s resolutions… lose 10 pounds, spend more time with the family, exercise more, quit drinking/smoking/swearing etc. etc. etc. How about some Technical Writing Resolutions this year? Here’s my Top 10:
9. Reduce stress: IMHO, the best way to reduce on the job stress is to learn and use your personal job metrics to correctly plan work, schedule tasks, complete projects and plan for the future. So if you don’t already know them, learn your metrics. (I’ll explain how to calculate them in my next post.) And if you if you know them already, figure out at least three ways to improve on them.
8. Evaluate your worth: Figure out what you bring to the bottom line in your organization and quantify it (so you can ask for a really great bonus at the end of the year!).
7. Spend more time with family: Take your vacations and take your down time. No one ever got to the pearly white gates and said, “Hey, wish I had spent more time at the office.”
6. Exercise more: Get your tush out of your office chair and stretch. Being a technical writer does not mean you have to sit and vegetate in front of your screen all day. You won’t always have this job, but you’ll always have the same back. So take care of yourself.
