How to make your New Year's Resolutions last

How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Last

How to make your New Year’s Resolutions last longer than your 5-day juice cleanse. 

The New Year has arrived! I think we all can take a massive sigh of relief as we head into 2021. Here’s hoping 2021 has better things in store for us!

With that being said, it’s time to reflect on the past year and create new resolutions for 2021. While surviving 2020 was an accomplishment in and of itself, it’s time to look forward to the upcoming year with optimism and start setting goals for the year ahead! How can you set a resolution that improves your life long-term?

Resolutions have a pretty notorious reputation for being made, and then quickly forgotten in 5 days. Which is where we come into play. Here are a few tips to help your resolutions last well beyond your 5-day juice cleanse. 

Start by setting a simple goal.

However big or small, simple goals are easier to keep. Choose one area of your life you would like to focus on, and create an achievable goal. Make your goal clear and concrete. You need to know exactly what you’re planning to change and why. 

Your goals may be simple, however they will also likely get you out of your comfort zone to create new healthy habits that improve your life for years to come!  Try implementing the SMART goal formula to improve your goal setting. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound

How to make your New Year's Resolutions last

Set a plan.

Once you’ve set your goals, make a plan. Create a few small simple goals within your larger goal to set a realistic plan of action. Once you’ve achieved one of those small goals, you being to build your confidence, which motivates you to achieve more.

Ensure you are set up for success before you begin your new plan. If your resolution is to eat healthier, be sure your pantry and fridge are free from unhealthy food. If your resolution is to run a marathon, be sure you have the proper shoes and attire.

Anticipate potential problems.

There will be obstacles, as there are with any goal, so be prepared for when they come up. When you make a list of the potential problems, you will be better equipped to handle them as they arise. Once you’ve created the list, think up a few ways you can solve them!

Treat yourself

Don’t forget to reward yourself. Once you reach your milestones, plan a few rewards you can enjoy. Whether it’s a massage, a day off work, or your favorite dinner out. Choose rewards that align with your goals. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

If, for whatever reason, you fall off the wagon on your goals, your support system is key. Surround yourself with people who are trustworthy and supportive, and explain your goals so they can be there for you. Inform them of ways they can help when things get challenging. 

Don’t give up! 

Slip-ups are inevitable at some point in the year, don’t let it get you down! Feel proud of your past achievements and look beyond that small hurdle. Those with higher self-esteem and confidence are positioned better to succeed. Forgive yourself for any steps backward, and continue to push toward your goals. 

Implementing a few of these tips into your resolution-making this year will ensure your 2021 is full of self-improvement! Our team at Culture Works would like to wish you a happy and safe New Year! 



Our Employees share their favorite holiday traditions!

Our Employees Share Their Favorite Holiday Traditions!

Our Employees share their favorite holiday traditions!

Happy Holidays from the Culture Works team! This holiday season may look different than most, however it is still a great time to take a break from work and spend time with family (in-person or virtually!) Now is time time to prioritize connecting with loved ones, and staying present in the moment. 

If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that life can change so quickly, so we need to appreciate all of the gifts we’ve been given. During this holiday season, take time to appreciate the little things, and remain in the present moment with family, friends, and your loved ones. 

In the spirit of the holidays, we’ve asked our team at Culture Works to share a few of their holiday traditions, both new and old! Here are a few ways our team celebrate the holiday’s:

Kristi:

“We love having our family elf, Mickey, come visit and surprise us every morning with funny Shenanigans. We also love watching Christmas movies and cuddling on the couch with our favorite holiday drinks.”

Jim:

“We have a big family dinner, then walk around our neighborhood which puts out street luminaries on Christmas Eve.  We end the evening with the Christmas classic Diehard.

Melisa:

“We visit Christmas Card Lane in Rancho Penasquitos (North County San Diego) – we walk and see all the pretty lights in a vastly decorated neighborhood! Also, my family watches National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation- always a good laugh from Chevy Chase and his wacky family!”

Jenn:

“Every year we make gingerbread houses that my son will leave out for Santa instead of cookies so that Santa can share it with the elves. Each year we try to get creative with them. This year is a football field instead of a house!”

Erica:

“I grew up with all my cousins and we would always spend Christmas Eve together and watch holiday movies. This year, I will spend the night at my cousin’s house, with her three kiddos and start a new tradition of waking up “mom and dad” with Nerf guns that I’ve purchased for all of us. My cousin doesn’t know this yet, so should be fun (for me)!”

Jennifer:

“My family and I typically go to Disneyland every year for Christmas, sadly this year we were not able to do that so we have been finding other ways to sprinkle in Christmas magic. We have seen a fun light display at Candy Cane Lane (North San Diego county) and this year we hiked up to see a beautifully lit Christmas tree that can be seen all throughout our community! And of course, we watch all the Christmas movies to include, ELF, The Grinch, and Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas to name a few! We also always make Gingerbread Houses and Christmas Cookies for Santa!”

Kimberly:

“My Mom makes our Christmas cookies passed down from my Grandmother who is no longer with us and brings her spirit alive during the Christmas season.   Since dating my husband we celebrate the holiday season with a nice dinner out and a show, and take photos every Christmas in front of the Grinch tree in front of the Old Globe theatre!  This year celebrating Christmas with my son, who just had his 1st birthday, we are excited to take him to walk around Garrison street in our neighborhood area and show him the light show in Point Loma!”

Claudia:

“We head down to Standlee’s in Chula Vista around Thanksgiving time and stock up on candy making supplies. I like to bake Linzer and snowball cookies, French macarons, and English toffee. My husband is famous for his chocolate pecan turtles made with caramel from scratch (the “right” way lol), peanut butter chocolate covered balls, and his absolutely amazing chocolate fudge. Our friends and family anxiously await the holiday goods from the Parker household! IT warms my heart that he’s passed the candy-making tradition down to Dorian, his mini-me, who now lives in Portland with her husband.”

Michelle:

“Our tradition is to play football on the holiday. The entire family and usually neighbors go outside and play a few games of touch football! It gets us moving and grooving!”

Stephenie:

“Growing up, we always decorated the tree as a family, unwrapping each ornament and the memories tied to it.

There was one ornament that was treasured more than others: the gingerbread cookie sheet. It was a tiny little replica of a baking sheet with six little decorated gingerbread men. Whoever in the family was the first to discover the gingerbread cookie sheet as we decorated the tree was awarded the coveted prize of the first Christmas cookie of the year. No small prize, I assure you; those Christmas cookies were good.”

Howie:

“The holidays have always been a time for the whole family to be together.  There is always one night when we drive around searching for the most over-decorated houses, talk about how high their electricity bill must be and how long it will take to disassemble.  Holiday movies start with The Wizard of Oz near thanksgiving and culminate with The Grinch (any version), Elf, and sometimes but definitely not every year, It’s a Wonderful Life.  Lastly, eating and music-festive foods and listening to rock n roll Christmas songs by Chuck Berry, John Lennon, Tom Petty, The Beach Boys, The Ramones,  James Brown’s Funky Soul Christmas Album including ‘Santa Claus go Straight to the Ghetto” and my favorite “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses.”



The difference between Human Capital and Human Resources

Human Capital vs. Human Resources: What’s the Difference?

(Hint – It’s not organ harvesting!)

Today, most organizations focus either on:

  • Creating a fun, exciting company culture, or
  • Producing results

What if we told you the real magic happens when you bridge the gap between the two? Understanding your human capital while operationalizing human resources is essential to your success in creating a company culture that thrives.

Human Capital vs. Human Resources

What is Human Capital?

Let’s start by understanding human capital on its own.

Human capital is the measure of skills, knowledge, and experience that your employees possess. These attributes are viewed in terms of their value to your organization.

The idea of human capital, however, takes a less “by the book” approach. The biggest differentiator of human capital is that it is intangible.

It’s a “quality that isn’t (and can’t be) listed on a company’s balance sheet.” Instead, human capital is perceived to increase productivity and thus profitability,” according to Investopedia.

Human capital focuses on the value an employee can bring, and also the future value of employees as an investment the company can make.

Examples of human capital include:

  • Education
  • Training
  • Intelligence
  • Skills
  • Health
  • Loyalty
  • Punctuality
  • The list goes on!

At Culture Works, we love the concept of human capital—as the approach focuses more on the person behind the resume than anything else.

What is Human Resources?

Now, what is Human Resources? Human Resources (HR), a term first coined in the 1960s, is “used to describe both the people who work for a company or organization and the department responsible for managing all matters related to employees.”

At Culture Works, we specialize in fractional HR. When looking to hire an HR team or manager, some of the roles and tasks they’d oversee (and implement into human capital) include:

  • Employee handbooks and manuals
  • Employee conflict
  • Upper management
  • Onboarding
  • Payroll
  • Benefits administration
  • Paid time off and leave
  • Enforcing company policies
  • Contract violations
  • And more

For any organization, it’s valuable to know when your business needs an HR team.

How Can You Translate Human Resources into Human Capital? (And Ultimately into Human Investment…)

As you look to operationalize your company culture, it’s important to understand each of these aspects to managing your talent.

When your company culture and human resources are operationalized, a few things happen for your employees.

  • Employees feel safer in the workplace
  • They are more engaged and excited about work

Naturally, employees who are engaged in their work are more efficient, which ultimately, contributes greater value to your business.

How Role Alignment Can Lead to Greater Human Investment

Firstly, what is role alignment? Role alignment prioritizes a values-based recruiting process to attract, acquire, and retain exceptional talent that fits your culture and grows with your company.

Think: An employee might apply for a role with all of the requested qualifications (or maybe they are even overqualified!). This, however, does not automatically mean they are the best fit for the specific role or company.

They might not be “role aligned.”

When you’re recruiting employees, you need to look not only at skills but also at whether or not they are role and value-aligned. Hiring isn’t just about a resume, it’s about the person you’re hiring.

Why is Role Alignment So Important?

Role alignment is one of the key factors at the heart of an operationalized human resource strategy, and it is at the core of bridging the gap between human capital and human resources.

Role alignment breeds great company culture and produces results. Additionally, role-aligned employees stay in their jobs. As the adage goes, happy marriages don’t end in divorce! (In other words, people who aren’t role or culture-aligned aren’t going to stay).

Optimizing an employee’s knowledge, skills, and experience to align them in a role that fits their strengths is essential to their success (and your organization’s).

Your investment in your employees will pay off as your employees become more aligned in their roles.

A Final Word

Successful HR means hiring for people who are role and value-aligned.

At Culture Works, we hire for culture – not for skill. We operationalize culture to ensure that the right people are in the right roles because we know that with proper role alignment, your employees will increase productivity and engagement.

Read on to learn more about role alignment and why it’s the golden ticket to your next key player on the blog.



CULTURE WORKS – we align purpose to operationalize culture with your people.

CULTURE CONNECTIVITY FOR YOUR PURPOSE, PEOPLE AND PROCESSES.