The start of a new year often serves as a time for inspiration and reflection on where you are and where you want to be in your life. Since your career is such a major part of your life, focusing on your professional growth can help you feel happier and more purposeful. Check out these six tips for setting and achieving your career goals this year:
1. Brainstorm and Think Big
Before you get down to business, let your imagination flow freely without regard to practicality. Brainstorm and think big on what excites you, stirs your professional passion, and what your dream job would be. Once you get a clear understanding of what you want out of your career overall, then you can start developing an actionable plan for making progress toward it.
2. Narrow Down the Obstacles
Identify the factors that are currently keeping you from getting toward your aspirations. For example, are you lacking specific skills or experience in a particular area? Narrow down the obstacles so you can determine a starting point for your goals.
3. Clarify the Specific Goal(s)
Once you have a broader sense of where to focus, it’s time to clarify your specific goal(s). Take the obstacles/gaps you previously identified and define the exact actions to take to achieve them. For example, if you want to get promoted to a manager level but have never supervised anyone, your goal could be to start gaining leadership experience. Break down your main goals into smaller steps to keep you on track and make it less overwhelming (i.e., schedule a time to talk to your boss about opportunities to build your leadership skills).
4. Make the Time
The key to actually achieving the career goals you set is building it into your schedule. As you define your specific goals, determine how you will make the time to pursue them and commit to getting that time blocked off on your calendar. Consistency is more important than massive chunks of uninterrupted time, so even 15 minutes a day for five days a week is better than waiting until you have hours all at once (which makes it easier to put off indefinitely).
5. Review Your Results
Check-in with yourself regularly to assess your goals and how they are progressing. Review your results by evaluating how often you are working toward them, what actions you have taken, what is working well for you, and what challenges you are facing. This can help you decide if you’re on the right track or if you need to switch your strategy or even set new goals altogether.
6. Celebrate Your Successes
It is so important to acknowledge the effort you make every step of the way, particularly when you are trying to achieve a major, long-term goal. Keep your motivation up by celebrating your successes. Reward yourself whenever you hit specific sub-goals or go outside of your comfort zone, such as enjoying your favorite treat, buying yourself a new outfit, planning a night out, taking time off, etc.
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