How To Set Career Goals That Will Actually Stick In The New Year

Here comes the New Year, and with it the idea that you have to make some New Year's resolutions. And they say the best way to get ahead in your career is to set professional goals and focus on them. But how do you know which goals are right for you, and how can you achieve them?

Set Yourself Up for Success

The best way to ensure that you succeed? Set goals that are compatible with your nature. Don't try to do things that go completely against your predispositions, character traits, and habits all at once. Breaking such patterns is difficult to do and requires a lot of work. Instead, set your sights on achievements that suit you, and that relate to the priorities in your life. Ask yourself:

1. "What motivates me?"  What is important to you, and what will make you feel that you've accomplished something? You also need to feel a sense of urgency, a feeling of "I must do this," or you'll lose interest in making the goal a reality. Then you'll end up disappointed and frustrated with yourself. If you're not sure what motivates you, pretend you're trying to convince someone that what you're doing is a worthwhile goal. If you can't convince yourself, you won't succeed.
2. "How can I measure my goals?"  You've heard this before. Goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound – in other words, SMART. It's smart to make it as easy as possible to get where you want to go by laying out exactly where you want to end up.
3. "How Can I Make My Goals Tangible?" If you write down your goals and your game plan, and post them in visible places, you have no excuse for forgetting about them. And when you write them, use the phrase "I will" instead of "I would like to" or "I might." Give yourself that power. And use positive language. For example, if you want to improve retention rates, state your goal as "I will hold onto all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is a strong motivator; the second one gives you too much wiggle room.
4. "Why Do I Almost Always Fail at Keeping My Resolutions?" The one step that people often skip in the process of goal setting is making an action plan. Most of us get so focused on the outcome that we skip thinking about all of the steps that we need to take along the way. Write out the individual steps, and then cross each one off as you complete it. This will help you realize that you are making progress, and show you what your next step should be. This is especially important if your goal is demanding or long-term.

Successful goal setting means much more than simply saying you want something to happen. When you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success increase considerably.