Goal Setting
“Average people have wishes & hopes, successful people have goals & plans” -Brain Tracy
Setting goals, both personal & professional helps to define who each of us are. Professional goals can sometimes be hard craft because they must encompass not only the company’s mission but also your personal focus within your place of employment. Below are 5 important steps to keep in mind as you are figuring out your professional goals.
- Take the time to know & understand where you work: If you do not understand the company’s mission, vision, & overall goals, how can you come up with your own professional goals to drive success? Every employee in the company serves as a piece of that puzzle so it is important that all employees understand the company’s goals before anyone will be able to create thier own professional goals & the steps they need to put in place to accomplish them.
- Always think about your short term & long-term career path: It is important to think about what your professional goals are for yourself now & twenty years from now. Envision where you want to see yourself, and your short-term goals should lead to your long term goals. Will you need certain skills or qualifications? Write down the steps that you need to take to go from where you are professionally now to where you want to see yourself in the future. Once you have a clear path of the steps that you need to take, schedule check ins with yourself. If you find that your steps have changed that is okay. Make sure you are always taking the time to know the steps you need to take to work towards your long-term career path.
- Break it down to the basics & visualize your goals: When setting SMART goals for ourselves they need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, & timely. Define what your professional goal is and break it down into manageable tasks. Allow yourself to visualize the details that will allow you to move towards achievement of the goal you set.
- Support, support, support: Let others around you know your professional goals so they can hold you accountable & support you on your journey. You will find your support team within your company & outside of it. If you feel like you are off your path towards achieving your goals, talk to someone around you & never be afraid to ask for help.
- Set dates & track your accomplishments: We all love to be successful but sometimes forget the little things that are being accomplished along the way. As you are planning your professional goals set dates you want to reach each goal by for personal accountability. Write down your successes, add them to a word document, or keep them in the notes section on your phone. Just make sure you are keeping track of them along the way so you are always able to refer back to them throughout your journey.
The idea of professional success is different to each & everyone of us. Taking the time to understand what “success” is to you professionally & what steps you need to put in place to achieve your professional goals is just as important as setting them. It is not just a check of the box when it comes to your goals- it is accountability, it is ownership, & it is wanting to take the steps so you can work towards achieving them.