{"id":1721,"date":"2018-01-07T14:36:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-07T14:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carinesanjuan.com\/?p=1721"},"modified":"2023-04-28T15:58:13","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T13:58:13","slug":"6-steps-achieving-career-work-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carinesanjuan.com\/en\/6-steps-achieving-career-work-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"6 steps for achieving your career (and work) goals"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]Setting a goal is important, it helps us bring our ideas to fruition by enabling us to focus our resources, prioritise and, in some instances, it supports our development as we need to learn new skills or knowledge in order to achieve our goal.<\/p>\n

Yearly objectives don\u2019t work, our brains aren\u2019t wired for it. I\u2019m reading Y. N. Harari’s Sapiens at the moment and he confirms that our hunter-gatherers\u2019 brains weren\u2019t made for long-range planning but for short burst of activity.<\/p>\n

Long-term planning opens the door to procrastination and loss of focus therefore stress, all of which don\u2019t help with achieving our goals. Obviously we\u2019ve developed ways to counter that challenge \u2013 think gantt charts that take up an ENTIRE wall – or rather expensive (but oh so pretty) goal-getting diaries or cumbersome systems designed to simplify achieving our objectives (yep you read that right).<\/p>\n

For years I focussed on 12 months-plan and it was a long, painful drag. The moment the lightbulb went off, thanks to my coach, going for my objectives has become a lot easier. It\u2019s not that I work less for them, on the contrary, I\u2019m a lot more fired up as I no longer feel like I\u2019m working FOR the process!<\/p>\n

What works is a 90-day plan because it is short enough to keep the momentum and enthusiasm going and long enough to see results.<\/h1>\n

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In this article I\u2019ll describe how to set and achieve a personal career goal however the process is pretty similar if you wish to use it for achieving the objectives set with your organisation. I\u2019d even argue that steps such as setting an intention, which may feel highly personal, would really help you achieve a big hairy business goal.<\/p>\n

The key to this method is to shift your focus. Set a yearly goal that\u2019s fine, as a biz owner I feel it\u2019s essential, but focus on the \u201cnow\u201d actions: it is these actions, one after the other, that will deliver your yearly goal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Step 1 – Set an intention<\/h2>\n

This is optional but an intention (more inspiring than a strategy and more pragmatic than a vision) enables to set the tone of your professional year and clarify your objectives, plus it comes in handy when opportunities are dangled in front of you, to avoid the \u201csquirrel\u201d effect.<\/p>\n

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As an example, here\u2019s my professional intention for 2018: \u201cEmpowerment\u201d, to feel empowered at all time in my business and support the empowerment of my clients and colleagues. Throughout the year I will ask myself if an offer, an opportunity, my daily actions are aligned with my intention and proceed accordingly. And I write it down on each page of my diary\/journal to ensure it’s always front of mind.<\/p>\n

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Step 2 \u2013 Set an achievable goal for the next 90 days<\/h2>\n

It needs to be SMART (Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Timed), don’t skip that step as that’s what makes your goal tangible whilst stretching so it gets the enthusiasm going.<\/p>\n

“Get a promotion” is not a SMART goal: it has no timeline, is it realistic? if you started in December in an organisation of 4 people maybe not – how will you measure it? you could be given additional responsibilities but no official title, does that achieve your goal?<\/p>\n

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A goal without a plan is just a wish.
\nAntoine de St Exupery<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Step 3 \u2013 Identify the strategies you need to achieve your goal<\/h2>\n

To make a sporting analogy – why do I keep using sporting analogies as I’m the least sporty person I know? – we are now running a marathon, so be mindful of your pace<\/p>\n

In step 3 you are identifying HOW you are going to achieve your objective. You shouldn\u2019t have more than 4\/5 buckets here. If you feel that you need many more have another look at your goal as it may not be specific enough.<\/p>\n

Also be realistic, again I use my example: my husband is going abroad for several weeks in Q1 (heck the WHOLE of Q1!) therefore I will be on my own to look after our 2 children, I\u2019ve set my Q1 objective to reflect that and I\u2019ve only got 3 HOWs. It wasn\u2019t an easy decision but as it\u2019s a new situation for me I was keen to limit risks of failure.<\/p>\n

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Step 4 \u2013 Create your Execution plans<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re picking up the pace now, a brisk jog I’d say?!<\/p>\n

For each “HOW bucket” you create a 2 to 3 weeks execution plan. Why this relatively short timespan?<\/p>\n