Goal Setting for your Career in 2021
2020 was crazy! But we made it, so let’s talk about setting goals for your career in 2021. While 2020 was a crazy year, there was so much to be learned and I hope you’re walking away with some learnings that will help you to feel more equipped and prepared for this year. Here are five things to keep in mind as you look at setting your career goals this year.
Number one: reflect on 2020’s lessons first. Before you dive in on setting new goals and figuring out what you want to do next, I think it is important to take some time to look back at the past twelve months. Look at the ups and downs, look at the things that have helped you to grow, and the lessons learned from the experiences you had. I’m sure some of those experiences may not have been the most pleasant in the process, but you can look back now and say, “Wow, that has really made me better at x, y, z” or “that has made me more resilient, adaptable, flexible.” You likely had to learn new skills and, in some cases, do it with fewer resources. That should be celebrated! So, take some time look at those lessons, look at the ways you have grown, and think about how you can apply those things moving forward. I speak a lot about reflection and the importance of taking some time to absorb the things that you have learned, to more effectively apply them moving forward. It is one thing to go through an experience and say you learned a lot, but it is quite another to really sit back, reflect and to think about how you can apply and integrate those lessons moving forward. I really encourage you to do that before you dive into writing new goals for 2021.
Number two: Be optimistic, yet realistic when it comes to setting career goals for yourself. For example, if you are in an entry level position currently and your goal is to be a Director, that may not happen in the next 12 months. So, when I say be realistic that’s what I mean, but I do want you to dream big. I do want you to be positive and optimistic. I know that might be more difficult for some than others, especially after the year we have had, but I think it is so important to get yourself in the right mindset, to be positive, be optimistic, and to focus on the things that you can be grateful for, before you set your new goals. Maintain a positive outlook and attitude, set goals that you think are achievable, but are going to challenge and push you to do even greater things in 2021 and beyond, while you are utilizing those skills and how you have been equipped over this past year.
Number three: Write them down. This is something that I have personally been doing for years, usually between Christmas and New Year’s, but is helpful at any time, and especially around the first of the year. Write down your goals, your New Year’s resolutions, your intentions, whatever you want to call it. Whatever you want to accomplish and realize in your life this coming year, write it down. I really cannot express how impactful I think the act of writing something down is, because not only are you visually seeing it on paper, on a white board, wherever is best for you as a reminder, but the act of writing it down helps to imprint your goals in your mind so you can truly embrace them and these visions that you have for your life. Don’t just write them down, I also recommend you post them where you can see them often. Hang them up in your office somewhere, in your bathroom, or put them on post-it notes on your desk. You could rotate your short-term goals as they change and you reach new milestones, but whatever that big picture goal is, I recommend that you have some kind of visual reminder of that as well. That will help keep you motivated and focused when some of your short terms goals that are necessary, get challenging.
Number four: Break them down into smaller goals. Let’s say your goal is to get promoted to a senior level position and you are in a mid-level role now. You want to work backwards and figure out what those things are that you need to do, milestones or major accomplishments you need to achieve, or markers along the way, that you can break down into steps to get to the ultimate goal of being promoted. I find taking a large goal and breaking it down into smaller goals and then creating action steps to achieve each of those smaller goals, is so much more effective and much less overwhelming. So, I highly recommend writing down your goals and then breaking them down into smaller chunks. Whether that be monthly goals, weekly goals, daily goals, whatever works for you. If you use a planner or any kind of to do list for planning your week, look at your big picture goal and ask yourself, “what can I do today, what can I do this week, or this month to get a little bit closer to achieving this goal in my career, in my life… whatever it is, over the course of the next twelve months?”
Number five: Check in on your goals and then repeat steps 2-4 as often as you need to. Now, it is important to recognize that life throws us curve balls; I think we all just experienced that in 2020! There are always going to be unexpected events, no matter how much of a planner we are, or how much we try to control things. When these things happen, it is okay to pivot and to adjust with life. If you’re getting put you off track, it is not the end of the world or the end of accomplishing your goals. What is important is that you recognize it, you take a moment to do what you need to do, reevaluate, and maybe reset your timeline or adjust some of those smaller in-between goals that we discussed. By doing this you won’t get too far off track in hitting that big picture goal in the long run, but you’re being realistic and accounting for life’s very real challenges. I think it is important to evaluate every so often how you’re tracking towards your big dreams and goals, so if you have gotten a little off track, it is okay, just be sure to adjust and reset.
So, Let’s quickly recap on these five things that you should keep in mind as you are setting your career goals in 2021. Number one: Reflect on 2020’s lessons first. Number two: Be optimistic, yet realistic. Number three: Write them down and don’t forget to post them somewhere where you can see them often. Number four: Break your goals down into smaller attainable goals. Number five: Check in on your goals often and repeat steps 2-4. I hope these points are helpful for you as you step through 2021 and work towards achieving greater things.
If your goals for your career this year involve applying for a new job and/or updating your resume, please download my free resume guide 10 Tactical Tips for Writing an Effective Resume, here: https://mailchi.mp/liveyourbestworklife.com/resume-tips.