Reach Your Career Goals in Manageable Steps

Do you want to find a career that makes you happier or start your own business? Utilize the steps outlined below to take the path to achieving your career goals. Start today and see the rewards within months. You can make decisions to better yourself and your career today.

The five steps detailed below will help you to gain the confidence and necessary skills to accomplish career goals. Personalize each step to fit your specific goal.

Step One: Write down all of your career goals. Put them in a time line like the example below to get a better understanding of the order that your goals will take.

First Goal: Save money to live off of for six months.
Second Goal: Look into requirements for new career path.
Third Goal: Quit current job and begin looking for a new employer.
Fourth Goal: Find employment within five months of leaving last job.

Step Two: If you know that you have to meet certain educational requirements, look into your options. You will probably need to build up skills for your career goals whether it’s starting a new business, getting a promotion, or taking on a new career path. Plan it out in detail before you begin taking the steps. Write each detail down and place it in an area that you will see on a daily basis.

For the first goal stated in the timeline above, the person would need to break it down into more manageable goals. This would entail breaking down the amount of savings for each month. Each long-term goal needs to have outlined, individual short-term goals to achieve success.

Step Three: Work towards each small goal until you reach the first long-term goal. Keep a journal about your progress and setbacks on a regular basis.

Step Four: Evaluate your progress. At the end of every week, look through your journal to evaluate the progress you made. Each time you reach a short-term goal you should check it off and process how you were able to reach that goal. Utilize the information that you find from keeping a journal.

If you’re not succeeding at your goals, take a look at the reasons. If your short-term goal is to research education options and you haven’t done this by the time that you allotted, then you need to evaluate obstacles that deterred success. Did you work ten extra hours that week? Is there an option of cutting back your current hours? Learn from each setback to eliminate your barriers.

Step Five: Celebrate success. Find pleasure in reaching your career goals. Tell your friends and family about your success, so they can encourage you and celebrate with you. Each short-term goal that you complete is leading you closer to your long-term goal. Stay motivated by continually planning your career goals.


Further Reading:

Setting Professional Goals