Goal setting can get left by the wayside.
The culprit?
The daily grind of work can mean that your career comes to a screeching halt.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in routines. And then one day, you wake up and you think, “What the heck am I doing here?!”
Don’t feel bad. This happens to all of us at some point.
But when you start to have this kind of revelation, that means it’s time to start reassessing and under go some serious goal setting.
When things start to feel stale or if you are chafing for something new, it’s time for change.
And the only way that change truly comes about is when you start creating a plan then acting on it.
Are you stuck in a rut? Try these goal setting tips to catapult your career forward:
1) Learn something new. Sign up for a class that will help you add a new skill set to your career repertoire.
2) Try something new. Ask for stretch assignments that push your envelope – putting yourself in unfamiliar situations that test you are great ways to start moving your career forward.
3) Think about what you really want. Are you feeling fulfilled in your current work? Or are you completely bored? Not everyone wants to move up, but at some point, most people want to move on. Where are you in your bigger scheme of career planning? It’s time to do some focused goal setting.
4) Get involved. If your job simply doesn’t flex enough for you to get some additional opportunities to grow, then perhaps you can find the stimuli you seek outside of the organization. Getting involved with industry groups through volunteering or serving on committees and boards are often great places to start.
5) Rotate jobs (if possible). More and more companies are embracing cross-functional training and encourage skill development / building which leads to higher employee job satisfaction and deepens the talent pool. Ask if this is a possibility where you work.
6) Talk to your boss about advancement or growth opportunities. If you don’t tell them, they simply don’t know.
Too many times, people assume that the boss knows exactly what you want. Guess what? They have other people on the team to worry about, so you aren’t first of mind. So this is where stepping up and letting them know that you are open to growth or advancement is important – at least you have your hat in the ring now!
7) Re-engineer your job. Sometimes, simply evaluating how you do your work can lead to process improvements, a re-invigoration to your work, and inspires you to be more productivity.
8) Look for new opportunities. When the answer to your goal setting isn’t in the room, and you are truly stalled out, it’s time to look for new opportunities outside of the organization.
And part of the goal setting activity to achieve this is all about being clear on what you want to do, then setting a plan forward that has clearly outlined steps on how you can get there.
Building a plan or a road map to where you want to go is critical for you achieving your dreams. It’s sometimes fun to be flexible and open to possibility, but don’t get so relaxed that you lose sight of what it is that you really want!