Career Goals- Setting, Achieving and Conquering

Everyone at some point in their life has been faced with the predicament of setting their career goals. Whether you are someone who is in class 10 and is suddenly expected to choose a stream, someone who has passed their 12th board exams and is supposed to choose a major for themselves or an experienced professional who doesn’t find joy in their present career, setting career goals can be a very daunting experience. Innumerable movies have been made about people who decided to change their careers and do things that give them joy because following your passion is the only way of sustaining a state of happiness. This blog is your guide to career goals- what they are, how to set them, achieve them and conquer the world. 

Dreams do not come true, Goals do.

What are Career Goals?

A career goal is defined as a definite statement explaining the profession and individual wants to pursue through the course of their professional life. All students, employees and prospective job seekers must have a clear goal defined. This is what allows them to come up with an effective action plan for their career. Setting unrealistic goals for your career can provide discouraging results. However, this does not mean that career goals should not be set in the first place. Creating motivation to achieve your dreams is not the solution, discipline is needed and so is proper planning. 

How to Set Career Goals?

Defining your career goals is half the battle. Setting your mind on accomplishing their goals is extremely important. However, developing or mapping out your plans is the first step. If planning is not done, then achieving your goals will be difficult. Following are some steps you could follow while setting your career goals:

1. Specific: When setting career goals, don’t just look at the finish line. The ultimate success is gained when you are as specific as possible with what you wish to achieve and how. Write down your end goals but do not forget the milestones you need to cross along the way. Map everything out. Don’t miss out on anything. 
2. Measurable: All success cannot be measured, sure. But make sure that the small invisible achievements are also written down, noted and celebrated. Keeping your motivated to continue the hustle is very important in the journey to achieving your career goals. Do not run after number but ensure that you are able to be connected to the process. 
3. Avoid Negativity: Often, it is easier to absorb negative comments from people rather than positive ones. Make sure you avoid this by keeping your goals to yourself. The more people you tell, the more unsolicited reactions and advice you will get. 
4. Realistic: Setting career goals that touch the sky is very easy. But you know yourself the best, based on your own abilities, setting realistic career goals will set you up for success. 
5. Actions Items to Goals: Always attach action items to goals. Setting goals is just the first step, taking the required actions is what make the actual difference and lead to success in your career. 

How to Achieve Career Goals?

Setting your career goals is one thing but achieving them is another story altogether. Following are some of the methods that would help you in achieving them: 

1. Pen down your Goals: Writing down your tasks for every day helps you remember them and achieve them, right? This is exactly what writing down your career goals will do to you. It is more likely that you will take steps to take you closer to reaching your destination rather than when it’s in your mind. 
2. Sharing: Sharing your career goals with people starts making you feel responsible for achieving them. However, you must make sure that you are not telling everyone, just tell your close friends and family who are able to motivate you into achieving them. 
3. Visualising: The trick of visualisation might seem silly to a lot of people. However, when you are able to imagine that you have already achieved the goal, you are more likely to believe that it can be done. Things do not seem very impossible if you already visualise them in your mind. 
4. Belief and Positivity: Believing in yourself is literally more than half the battle. A lot of people give up just when they are about to succeed because they do not think they would ever make it. Do not be one of those people. Hope, belief and positivity are what runs the world and it is basically why the human race exists. 
5. Move at your Own Pace: Life is not a competition. It is important that the achievement of your career goals is done at your own pace. 

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Confucius

If you are someone who is confused about their career goals and what they must work towards in their life, then make sure that you talk to the counsellors at Leverage Edu and avail your FREE counselling session today!