It’s the dawning of a new year. A time for celebration, a time for fresh beginnings and of course a chance to participate in the time-honored tradition of setting New Year’s Goals and Resolutions. Like millions of others you probably started off 2015 with a list of items you wanted to accomplish or improve in your personal life over the next year, items such as losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier or even reducing your stress.
Setting personal goals are great, they motivate us, fuel our ambition, and help us overcome procrastination by giving us something to be accountable for. Although setting personal goals and resolutions give us focus and something to work for each day, setting goals for your professional life are equally as important. Don’t know where to start? Check out these 5 must have resolutions for court reporter success.
- Invest in your future – This does not mean going out and spending a ton of money. There are other ways to invest in your future than simply spending money, such as devoting a little time each month to network with fellow court reporting professionals. Join your state court reporting association and make an effort to attend their monthly meet ups.
- Increase your realtime accuracy and speed – Practice, practice, practice. Keep pushing yourself to improve your skills, become faster and more accurate. Spend 15 minutes a day practicing stokes and updating briefs. Try a new technique like the ones taught by Guinness Record Holder Mark Kislingbury and Magnum Steno.
- Get certified in Realtime – If you haven’t done so already, go out and take the test to become Realtime Certified. Being Realtime Certified builds your creditability as a reporter, enhances your career and opens the doors to new opportunities. NCRA offers an awesome Realtime Certification Program as do many of your local state reporting associations.
- Learn something new – Participate in continuing education. The industry is constantly transforming and in order to stay competitive you must be on top of those changes. Learning something new allows you to keep your mind open to new ideas, improve your skills and develop your professional career.
- Try out a new technology – We are living in a world of technology. Clients want results sooner rather than later and technological advancements in the industry have allowed us to meet those needs. Make an effort to try out a new technology such as web-based deposition streaming through LiveDeposition’s RemoteRealtime™ or easy onsite realtime delivery through the LocalRealtime™ Wireless Router.
As a court reporter, each day you get thrown into a highly stressful, fast-paced, competitive environment. Setting professional goals and resolutions help you achieve the success you work so hard for day in and day out. If you haven’t done so already, take a few minutes and write down where you currently are right now in your career and where you want to be a year from now; create goals and resolutions as to how you will get there and spend a few minutes each day working towards them.