We’ve all been there…
The new year comes around, and we tell ourselves, “This will be our year!” as we make several self-promises to change our lives for the better.
But when it comes to New Year resolutions, the hardest part isn’t conjuring up these commitments. It’s keeping them.
Whether it was a pledge to hammer the gym, demolish that drinking habit, or stub out the smokos, most promises have fallen apart quicker than the set of tools your workmate bought from Wish.
Those in the construction world would understand why: long hours, stress, and that never-ending backache make it easy to skip that workout to crack open a cold one instead.
And here at Build-it, we don’t blame you.
That’s why we have constructed this list of super easy New Year resolutions every tradie can add to their toolbox to lay the foundations for a great 2024.
Bring the tools in
A good tradie never blames his tools… that’s unless he has none because they’ve all been stolen.
And even then, he may be to blame if he chose to leave them on-site or on view inside his ute.
We get it; after a 12-hour shift, the last thing you want to do is cart your heavy gear back onto the rig and then into the garage.
But waking up without your most expensive equipment will put you in even more pain and hurt your wallet, too.
So, in 2024, bring those tools home and inside after work.
Lock the truck
It may sound too simple to forget, but for many tradies, not locking their work-wheels at night is one of their worst habits.
“I’ve got to go back out there anyway,”
“No one’s had their car nicked around here,”
“I’ll do it in a minute.” – are all familiar excuses used when the spouse tells us the ute/ van is still unlocked.
But that minute quickly turns into an hour, and an hour turns into falling asleep on the couch watching the telly with the vehicle left unsecured all night.
With a span of property and vehicle thefts across the country and a growing concern over youth crime, now is the time to remember to lock up.
So, in 2024, make it your mission to lock that truck before heading inside each evening.
Stop safety shortcuts
Just last week, Build-it revealed a rise in tradies taking risky shortcuts regarding job-site safety as they rushed to finish work before the Christmas break.
And while January has most construction workers feeling re-energised and refreshed, it’s easy to fall back into those costly time-saving habits.
Nothing could be more risky than taking shortcuts with safety while on the job, with nearly 13,000 Aussie tradies injured every year and 30 killed as a result of workplace accidents.
So get the year off to a solid start by committing to those annoying workplace safety protocols because they may save your life and ensure you see 2025.
Drinking on the job
The 2023-2024 summer is predicted to be the hottest in documented history, with a combination of rare climate patterns seeing many parts of the country reach record temperatures already.
That’s why tradies must take the time to drink more while on the job.
No, we don’t mean sinking a few beers with the boys mid-shift – but drinking more water.
Adult men with average activity levels and working conditions should drink 2.6 litres of water daily.
The physical and exposed nature of most construction jobs means most tradies should exceed that, or at the least, meet it.
So don’t put your health at risk, and bring some extra water to work in 2024.
Don’t overdo it.
The nature of construction work makes many tradespeople prone to the risk of tradie burnout.
The early starts, physical labour and long hours under the sun can quickly lead to exhaustion.
Throw in the fact many tradies are self-employed without a fixed salary, and the stress of running their own business, and it’s easy to see how many overdo it.
This extra tiredness can lead to massive safety concerns either at work or once we are back at home and even bring on tradie burnout.
Job burnout is a type of stress linked to work. It includes being worn out physically or emotionally.
It’s essential to remain aware of the signs of burnout. Hence, we know when to take a break and see a doctor: watch out for feeling a combination of reduced performance, poor productivity, detachment, low mood, poor concentration, fatigue and no enthusiasm.
