Everyone has ideas about where they would like to be in their career, but getting there requires action. It’s easy to put your career on autopilot and hope for the best, but it won’t get you very far. If you want to take leaps and bounds in your career this year, it’s time to assess what’s missing, set some goals and put your plan in motion.
Identify what you want. A little bit of self-assessment will serve you well. Sometimes life can keep you so busy, that you’re not even sure where you’re headed or what will truly make you happy in your career. Is it a promotion? Higher pay? Work-life balance? A job in a different industry? Whatever it is, write it down and prepare to take action.
Set clear goals. Once you’ve identified what you’re after, it’s time to set some goals. But, to be successful in your pursuits, you need to be specific and realistic. For example, if you want a promotion and in order to qualify, you need experience in an area you currently don’t have, make it your goal to get it. Seek out additional work or volunteer for opportunities outside of your job that give you the experience you need to get that promotion.
Regularly assess your progress. Keeping tabs on your goals and assessing your progress on a regular basis is a great practice to get into—and it will motivate you along the way. Larger objectives can be broken down into smaller bite-size tasks that keep you steadily progressing toward your goals. As you track your movement, you will begin to see the gap between where you are and where you want to be getting smaller and smaller. Eventually, you’ll be right where you want to be!