Goal: score points on the career ladder

By Lisa O'Brien

As any Olympic athlete knows, it takes more than talent to win. In your workplace, there's likely to be a big pool of creative, intelligent people — so how are you supposed to stand out? With a well-defined set of goals and a touch of forward thinking, of course!

Be your own elite coach, audit your progress
If you were an elite athlete your coach would continually assess and audit your progress. Be your own coach by taking the time to assess where you are in your career and what you have achieved in the last 12 months. Consider: What were the highs? What were the lows? What did you enjoy the most? What did you achieve career-wise? Have you achieved a good work-life balance?

Reach high to be a career superstar
Now that you have assessed your progress, start to think about where you would like to be in your career and personal life. Be completely open and honest with yourself by listing all of your dreams and goals.

Don't just play … win!
Now that you have assessed what you have achieved in the past and what you want to achieve in the future, start to make a plan of how you can get to where you really want to be. Make a game plan including the steps and strategies that you need to take to get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future.

Implement game strategy working out what you have to do to get to the position you desire in your career and life. Then think about how long it will take to get there. Plan out what you have to achieve in the next 12 months then break it down into tasks that you have to complete each month.

Stay focused to win the prize
We all know from experience that it is one thing to have a great plan but something else entirely to actually stick to the plan. Use the following tips to remain focused and achieve your career objectives:

Make it fun! As Confucius once said: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Use this concept when setting goals, and find fun ways to achieve the things you want to achieve.

Get a coach. Gold medal winners don't do it on their own, so think about hiring a professional career coach (www.careerscoach.com.au).

Set achievable goals. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too high. Start by setting small goals and reward yourself each time that you achieve one of the goals.

It takes time. Remember it takes 21 days to form a new habit. If you remember this then it will help you to get through those tough days.

Analyse your progress regularly. What did you do well and what could you have done better? Be kind but thorough in your self-analysis.

Visualise success. Imagine yourself having achieved the goal or objective. Think about how you will feel!




lisa@careerscoach.com.au
www.careerscoach.com.au