We’ve all been there. Whether it’s at the turn of a new year, or before the summer, or even on a Sunday. We’ve all had a sudden burst of motivation where we set ambitious career goals for ourselves that we end up never following through on.
The truth is, setting professional goals is the relatively easy part, but actually achieving them requires perseverance, dedication and sometimes even sacrifice.
It is undeniable that the work environment has changed a lot in the past few decades, even the past year. Finding a stable job and staying in the same company for a lifetime was commonplace, and even regarded as ideal. Nowadays, people have a lot more agency on their own careers and their professional success.
As amazing as this new era of business empowerment is. It comes with the caveat of lending a lot more responsibility to the individual. Having hopes and dreams is all well and good, but how do you achieve them? Read on for 5 tips on how to stick to your plans and see your dreams become a reality.
1. Set Meaningful Goals
This may sound obvious but the most important starting point. Setting goals, you believe in and that you’re passionate about will keep you motivated and on track to following through with them. Wanting to become a better team leader, improving your networking skills are pretty broad ideas. So being intentional when defining our goals is helpful to see them as realistic possibilities for ourselves.
2. Fine Tune
Fine tuning your ideas and being specific about what you want to achieve will give you direction and purpose. Being overly vague about what you want may make you feel less pressure. But sometimes this can lead to becoming easily distracted and losing track of what it is we want.
3. Create a Roadmap
Having an action plan is a great way to unpack bigger goals into smaller steps. It will make the career goals more manageable and will feel less overwhelming. Figuring out the first steps to get to your destination is not only a good idea but the best way to stay focused. Losing motivation can happen easily. If you feel like you’re at the bottom of a huge mountain you don’t really know how to climb. So do some research, make the necessary investments and prepare to get started!
4. Be Ready for Challenges
Setbacks happen, it is simply a part of life. In any life endeavour its always advisable to have a contingency plan. This is no different. As the saying goes, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Some challenges will make the road feel bumpy but manageable. While there may be other times where it feels like a setback is too big to tackle and will mark the end of your career dream. Attitude is everything, staying motivated and resilient is the key to overcoming these inevitable setbacks. No matter how big or small.
5. Figure Out Your Timeline
Everyone procrastinates! Whether it’s doing the dishes or calling the plumber to fix that annoying sink leak. Procrastination is a normal behavior but when speaking about achieving career goals it must be avoided at all costs. Coming up with a set of deadlines will prevent you from falling into the pothole of “someday”. Think of your goals as either short term or long term and set timeframes accordingly. Be realistic about what you can achieve in what time but don’t be afraid to put some pressure on yourself. Things like journals can help you keep track of your progress and having a tangible reminder of how far you’ve come can be very helpful when you’re feeling challenged.
The cliché says nothing is ever impossible and in the professional world this is true. If you have a positive mind frame and are willing to put in the hours, effort and make the necessary sacrifices, you’ll be able to achieve all the goals you set yourself. Remember to keep organized and logical. The process may seem long and difficult at times, don’t be discouraged. With the right tools, dreams do become reality.