First off, Happy New Year! I hope that you had a fun and relaxing time during the holidays. But now it’s time to buckle down and get back to reality – the start of another new year, new month and new week. This is the perfect time to set your intentions for what you plan to get accomplished during this next year.
Just as you set personal intentions (I’m not a fan of the word resolutions), you need to set your goals and plans for how you want you career to progress during 2016. The control is yours, whether you are aware or not; planning ahead and mapping out specific strategies will lead you to take the necessary actions needed to achieve them.
Do you want to get a new job or position? Do you want a promotion? Or would you like to learn how to handle your job stress so you can relax more? Any and all of these and more can be added to your list. Here are some quick steps to get you started and make 2016 your best career yet:
- First, go back and review 2015 – you can’t move forward if you have old baggage in tow. Look at what went well; what were your best days at work and why; what were your worst days at work and why; how were your work relationships or those with customers and vendors; what were your major accomplishments regarding projects, processes, time, money or meeting thresholds; how was your mindset. Knowing these will lead you to now take the next step…
- Second, mindmap or freethink any and all desires you have for your career, looking in terms of: title, money, location, rewards/benefits, projects to work on, and hours/ work-life balance. This allows you to put on paper all those ‘buried’ wishes and wants you’ve been thinking of. Once you’ve got them all out, you can now move on to the next step…
- Third, prioritize the ideas you came up with, starting from the most important or desirable to the least. Write under each one all of the steps it would take for you to reach each one. Include time to achieve as well as resources needed (i.e. money, support, etc.). You are now ready to move on to the final step…
- Lastly, take out your calendar and map out timelines for each task; I would recommend starting with the most important and then moving on. However, if you are desiring a move, a new promotion or job you might want to map it out but then get to work on the steps needed to get there, such as networking or updating your resume.
That’s the basics of setting your intentions. The last parts are to ensure they are front and center – put them in your planner, your Outlook or other way you schedule. You now can wake up each day knowing how your day will be planned and where you are going. It will feel good to know your direction so you can be in control and manage your career. The new year will never look so good!
If you want help to plan and manage your career, or move forward on your goals, contact us today for your free Discovery Session to get started. Let’s make 2016 your best! http://www.cyscoaching.com
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