Setting career goals and making sure they come true
By Kimberley Pollock, Careers Consultant
Planning for our future is very important even if those plans may change. Goal setting is a powerful technique that can maximise your opportunities, results and performance in every aspect of your life. By setting goals you can:
- Increase performance and achieve more.
- Improve motivation and confidence.
- Reduce stress and anxiety.
- Concentrate and focus on what is important.
- Be self-directed, satisfied and happy.
It is useful to have both short and long-term goals as part of an overall career plan. Long-term career goals require you to look into the future and not be constrained by any present limitations. This means not looking at the future through the eyes of the present but rather thinking of the future as if it is everything you want it to be. To help you do this consider the following questions:
- What is your dream job?
- What would you do if you couldn’t fail? Why?
- If you could be anyone in the world who would it be? Why?
- If you only had 2 years to live but were healthy until you died what would you do?
- What do you want people to remember you for when you die?
Your answers to the above questions will give you an insight into what is most important to you. Write down a long-term goal that reflects your vision for your future. Some examples might be:
- Working as a Beauty Therapist on a cruise ship.
- Being a motor mechanic and running my own business.
- A career as a secondary Science Teacher.
Another method to explore your career goals is the Quick List Technique from HE Stanton’s book the ‘Success Factor’. Write down the three things you most want at this particular moment. These things may be specific ideas, such as a promotion to Manager or enrolling in a new course but they may also be abstract thoughts like flexible working hours, to save the environment, a more challenging job. Don’t think too hard – just write what comes to mind. Repeat this at the same time for five weeks. Then take out your six lists and read them. This is a great technique to use if you feel like you don’t have any goals or if you feel like you have too many goals. There is likely to be a common theme in your lists and you can use this to confirm or set new goals accordingly.
We often think of goals being momentous occasions in our lives but they can also be broken into manageable short-term goals and decisions that give us a sense of direction and achievement. Short-term goals should be things that you can achieve in a relatively brief time such as passing an exam, attending a conference or meeting with your supervisor. Brainstorm a list of all the short-term goals that will move you toward your long-term vision. Consider all areas of your life, including: study, work/career, friends, home/family, health, and interests/hobbies. Asking the following questions will help you focus on the short-term goals that can lead to achieving your larger goals:
- What skills do I need to achieve this?
- What information and knowledge do I need?
- What help, assistance, or collaboration do I need? 3 What resources do I need?
- What barriers do I need to overcome?
- Is there a better way of doing things?
It is crucial that you prioritise your list of short-term goals and the challenge will be choosing the options with the best chance of both short and long term rewards. A popular method for sorting priorities is the A-B-C method. You place one of those letters in the margin before each of the goals on your list.
- A - Stands for very important; must do; significant negative consequences if not completed.
- B - Stands for important; should do; but not as important as my ‘A’ tasks, and only minor negative consequences if not completed.
- C - Stands for want to do; but not as important as ‘A’ or ‘B,’ and no negative consequences for not completing.
Record your top three short-term goals on a new list and break them down even further into monthly, weekly, and daily targets.
10 Tips for Making Your Goals Reality
- It is vital to write goals down.
It is easy to ignore goals that are not tangible. Confirm your commitment to your goals by writing them down precisely in the first person as if they are already happening. For example, I am a violinist in an Orchestra. Display your goals somewhere prominent so you will see them each day.
- Set short and long term goals.
If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Make sure you also set small incremental goals for more opportunities for reward.
- Set precise goals.
The more specific your goal the stronger your commitment will be. Set personal performance goals with outcomes and timeframes you have control over. For example, at a job interview, you have control over answering all the questions to the best of your ability but you do not have control over whether someone else will have more experience and may be offered the job.
- How will you benefit?
Identify why you want to achieve this goal. List all the ways you will personally benefit such as: money to travel, gaining new skills, expanding networks, contributing to a good cause, time to do what I want, increased confidence, and having fun.
- Tell people.
Success does not occur in isolation and we are often influenced and helped by friends, family and colleagues. Tell everyone you trust your goals so they can provide you with support, help and motivation.
- Set priorities.
This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals and focus your attention to the most important ones.
- Identify obstacles.
Examine anything that will prevent you achieving your goal and develop strategies to counteract them. For example, if you do not know anyone in the industry you want to work you could join a professional association and use their events to expand your contacts.
- Evaluate and adapt.
Be realistic about what you are willing to do. Revisit and adjust your goals as your circumstances and desires change.
- Get started.
What are you waiting for? Starting the process is as important as the initial plan. When you commit to your goals the world will also move with you and many new opportunities will open up for you.
- Celebrate achieving your goals.
Now that you have set and prioritised your long and short-term goals the important thing is to get started. The world is full of opportunity and uncertainty and you have the ability to consciously create your future or sit back and be ruled by circumstance.
So, take the first step and see the results!
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