It is a universal fact that 2020 has not been easy for everybody, and the biggest reason is the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected millions of people’s lives. No matter how the pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives—especially career-wise—the plans they have set for themselves at the beginning of 2020 definitely may not have played out like expected. With 2021 opening a new chapter, it offers some people a cognitive transition point. They could begin to look forward to a fresh start.
This new year is a chance to recalibrate for the year 2021. May it be on their personal career, or only on how they want to spend the next 12 months. Personal and career goals help one map out their future. When they know what they want to accomplish, it would be easier to plan for reaching those goals.
Below are three simple steps to help one set career goals in the new year.
Think Forward
When crafting a career plan, everybody should consider what they want to accomplish both now and in the future. Then, one can determine which steps they will need to take to achieve their career aspirations and begin making their goals come true.
By thinking forward, one gets to know what they want to reward themselves with when they reach a particular milestone. This can be a promotion at work or a ticket to the country one has always dreamed of visiting. For upgraders, this is when they begin to think about purchasing their dream home by investing in a house and lot with promising returns.
Set SMART Goals
It is not too late for those who are still yet to set their career goals this year to come up with a few now. Start by considering setting some defined goals. Resolutions have gotten a bad rap in recent years for being too futile, tricking people into believing they have not made any progress for the year. One can avoid all of that by being smart about their goal-setting practices.
One might want to set smart goals, and there is a SMART way of putting them. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. It is a framework that empowers one to set goals that they can actually accomplish within a specific time frame. SMART career goals much help in removing the guesswork and wishful thinking out of the goal-setting process.
What are SMART Goals?
Specific. A specific goal makes a compelling goal. Many people set goals such as losing weight, getting a new job, or making more money. More often than not, some tend to be shocked that they do not actually achieve them. Why? Because these goals are broad. The goal should be clear and well-defined to be considered SMART. For example, instead of settling for just moving into a bigger house and lot, one can make it as specific as moving into a Camella house and lot in five years.
Measurable. A SMART goal should be obtainable. One should find out how far away they are from achieving these goals. There must be a defined outcome to know if one is making progress and if they need to reevaluate. For instance, one might want to set a yearly savings goal to monitor how close they are to owning the house of their dreams.
Achievable. People must make sure that a goal is attainable and can reasonably accomplish it within a defined timeframe. Setting a life goal that is too ambitious or beyond one’s capacity will only result in struggling in the hopes of achieving it. If one’s life goal is to upgrade to a larger house and lot, one must make sure that they do not choose properties beyond their means and budget.
Relevant. To be considered relevant, it should be parallel to the direction one wants in life and career path to pursue. By keeping one’s goals aligned with their abilities, they are more likely to develop the focus they need to get ahead. Setting widely scattered and inconsistent goals has the danger of resulting in one feeling as if they have wasted their time and effort.
Time-bound. A smart life goal must also be time-bound. This means that it has a start and finish date. Setting deadlines creates a sense of urgency and the motivation to achieve the goal. With unrealistic timing, the chance of not succeeding is higher. To maintain one’s focus, it is preferable to be realistic than ambitious when determining an end-date for task prioritization. Buying a house and lot, for instance, requires a massive sum of money, and its construction can also take time, which delays the sense of gratification. When setting a realistic goal, one should consider factors within and beyond their control.
Keep your vision visible
The last step in setting one’s career goal is creating a vision statement. One could plaster this on various places so that they can read it and say it aloud often. This helps one imagine achieving their career vision and be reminded of their life goals. Constantly reinforcing one’s image in their career vision can help them consciously and subconsciously develop plans and action steps to lead them to success.
Whether buying a new house and lot or reaching new heights in their career, people should always remember the importance of designing their own development plan. There are no set rules on how to go about in life. The important thing is keeping a definite sense of commitment to what one wants to do in life. As the saying goes, one does not need to ruin someone else’s race because everyone blossoms in their own time.
