By Cindy Stephens
Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Yes, it is the time of year to begin thinking about what 2018 will look like.
Most of us are thinking about our future. We consider changes to make our personal and professional lives more fulfilling and successful.
It is well known that the most successful people are those who made a choice to be successful, establish goals and set out to accomplish them. Ultimately, it is up to each of us to take charge of our professional and personal growth. However, achieving success in anything requires having a plan – setting goals and actions to carry them out.
Whether it is professional or personal, the new year is a great time to make resolutions for change. We just have to make the choice of either continuing with the “old” habits or working toward a new improved self or routine!
The key to achieving success is to motivate yourself to turn your goals into realities. Setting goals is a very powerful technique to make a positive difference in achieving success. Therefore, if you want your life to change, you must incorporate your goals into a plan, and take the necessary steps to be successful.
It sounds easy enough, but studies show a majority of people don’t take the time to identify their goals and make a plan for reaching them. Goals give you a starting place and a destination.
Knowing where you are going will help you get there! Here are some easy steps to put your resolutions and goals into action!
Start out with small steps, and keep it simple so you can achieve your goals! Maybe you want to be more productive at work or add to your professional skills to work toward a promotion. You may just want to simplify your life, manage your time better, or find the time to do the things that are more important in your life.
- Determine your objective. What do you want to achieve? What is it you want to do in your life and career? Once you have a vision and know what you really want to accomplish with your life, you will be able to define your goal and develop a focused plan to set you in the right direction.
- Define specific and realistic goals. Categorize your goals as personal, financial, career, spiritual or another areas. However, don’t have too many goals because that can sabotage your success and become overwhelming.
- Begin with well-defined goal statements that form the basis for your plan. One way to remember how to create a clear and accurate goal statement is to think of the “SMART” acronym used by many experts in goal-setting workshops. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (or Realistic), and Timely. Each goal statement should have clear steps to provide direction and focus to achieve the goal, a plan of action that also allows us to track our progress toward the goal in a time frame that is realistic.
- Narrow down the list to concentrate on a few goals at a time. As soon as you achieve those goals, you can move down your list. You want your goals to be worth working toward.
- Once you have defined your specific goals, you need some direction to follow to achieve each goal. Create an action plan that gets results. If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there? Write down in detail how you will achieve it and by what date. This plan is your roadmap to success. The more specific and measurable the plan, the better. The key is to have a written plan to keep you on track and moving forward.
- Goal setting is an ongoing process that is accomplished over time. Review your goals daily to become more productive, to remain focused and determine your priorities. As each set of goals is reached, you will be compelled to set new goals, but consider rewarding yourself for your achievement!
- Maintain a log of your progress along the way to help keep you on track. Even small steps will get you a little bit closer to your goal.
- Do not become frustrated if you do not achieve your goals overnight. Keep in mind some resolutions fail and consider the potential roadblocks that may prevent you from achieving them. Identifying roadblocks up front will prepare you to overcome them.
- Stay motivated even in the face of obstacles or setbacks. Remain flexible and willing to adjust your plan when necessary. Sometimes you may need to take a detour along the way, but don’t get discouraged and let this throw you completely off course. Stay committed and keep going!
Whatever the reasons are for change, I hope these steps will give you more focus and direction to assist you in accomplishing your New Year’s resolutions! Take charge of your career by focusing on your goals and achieving success.
