Defining your career goals are but the first step to determining what you would want for your future, and then marking your successes. Without defining what you would want to achieve, you may end doing the endless and mindless 9-5 slog, with no prospects of fulfilment, either in your career or personal journey.

If you were to give yourself a realistic timeline or deadline within which you want to achieve certain outcomes, you need to have a goal line with which to motivate yourself. Reflecting on where you are in your journey, and how far you still need to travel, is important when considering whether you are on the right path, or need to make changes. It will also help you feel more successful, and more determined when reaching for the next goal.

Keeping in mind that reaching a goal may be made harder by certain hurdles, such as the global Covid-19 pandemic, with its serious financial and wellness ramifications, it is important to note that extending your deadline and adjusting your timeline is but par for the course sometimes. You can still have a positive outcome, such as getting the increase or promotion that you were aiming for, you may just need to accept the current economic climate.

It is possible to have more than one goal, some short term and some long term. It is even possible to have one take priority over another. Taking note of which are non-negotiable versus those that are positive planning, will also help you manage your expectations and resources.

As we come to the end of another year, it is natural to look back on what has happened both personally and career wise. This is then also the right time to look back on where we may have taken better care, and also which circumstances where beyond our control. Reflecting on what we now consider important to achieve in the next 12 months, or longer, doesn’t always have to be set in stone.