The key to career success is setting yourself a clear goal and then taking the necessary steps to achieving that goal.
But what is your career goal or do you even have one?
For some people their career goal maybe to get a new job, for others it may be to reach a managerial position in the company they work for within 2 years, or it may be to learn something new. Whatever it is, as the German philosopher, Goethe said,
“The important thing in life is to have a great aim and possess the aptitude and the perseverance to attain it.”
The first time I meet a new client it is always an introductory or strategy session to review the client’s requirements and to make sure that we are a good ‘fit’ and will be able to work together. The next session always begins with setting goals. No matter whether the client wants to change career, improve their CV or increase their confidence, we will always begin by clarifying their goal i.e. what they hope to achieve by working with me.
I also know that a lot of people struggle with this. They struggle to come up with a vision of what they want for themselves, their career or their business and they procrastinate and put off trying to determine what their goal is. Many don’t even see the point in it (this is one of the reasons that I co-wrote ‘Your Future – A Practical Guide to Action’).
Not having a goal or a vision is a bit like getting into your car and just driving with no map and no idea of where you are going. Guaranteed you will end up somewhere but will it really be where you want to be? And how will you manage to convince the others in the car that they should go along with you? (Ok so if I am to be honest, occasionally I do find it fun to just get in the car and drive. It can be a bit of an adventure but it is not the way to try and have a successful career!)
If you want to succeed in your career, you need to know exactly what position you are at now and then create a vision or goal of where you want to be – you must be prepared to spend time doing this if you want to succeed (a career check up is a great place to start).
The next step is to clearly communicate this vision. This gives you direction and focus so you know what you are working towards and this in turn will create the drive and passion needed to achieve your goals and make your career a success.
A great article I read recently said that,
‘a good vision gives an organization both direction and the inspiration to pursue it’.
I couldn’t agree more and the same applies for your career!
For me the whole article can be summed up with the following quote:
‘… the very act of having the aim in large measure provides the aptitude and perseverance needed to achieve it. Vision does this because it taps deeply seated emotions. It stirs people, kindles their passion and propels them forward. Vision provides the crucial performance motive beyond the survival instinct’.
You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705366518/The-power-of-vision-provides-organizations-with-direction-inspiration.html?pg=1
Once you have your goal, you need to compare where you are now with where you want it to be and while this is the first step towards your success, it is the key step that many people fail to take. Only by making this comparison and identifying where there are gaps, can you begin to see what you need to do to start making your career a success.
Once you know where the gaps are you are well on the way. Now you need to think about what is stopping you from taking action to narrow those gaps. Is it lack of knowledge, time or money? Or is something else holding you back?
What vision do you have of your career?
Contact me today If you would like help getting your career back on track.
