It’s that time of year again – to reflect on the year behind you and plan the year ahead. Many people are looking to move their career forward, but without a strategy or ongoing momentum, it can be difficult. How can you ensure that you achieve your work goals and progress in your career over the coming year?

1. Where will you take your career in 2013?
It’s that time of year again – to reflect on the year behind you and plan the year ahead. Many people
are looking to move their career forward, but without a strategy or ongoing momentum, it can be
difficult. How can you ensure that you achieve your work goals and progress in your career over the
coming year?
Identify what you want to achieve
The first step to achieving your goals is to find a time where you can focus and think clearly about
what you really want. This can be hard when balancing Christmas plans, work schedules, and family
life, but block out a good chunk of time for reflection; this can energise and realign you to your
goals. Visit a place that you find inspiring, which will allow you to distance yourself from the hustle
and bustle of your everyday life. Take time to be alone so that you can gain perspective and focus on
what you really want.
Reflect on your success
Ask a friend, colleague or career coach to help you analyse what skills have contributed to your
success and develop your clear personal brand. If you take stock of your achievements, remind
yourself of your values, and understand your competencies, it will enable you to move forward by
reassuring yourself you’re headed in the right direction.
Clearly define your objectives
Be courageous by admitting to yourself what you really want from your career. When writing your
goals, ask yourself if they’re SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound).
Strategise for career development
Identify the actions you need to undertake to reach your milestones, and map them out like a
corporate strategy. Don’t let this become a personal plan; share it with others and let them know
how they can support you. For example, if you want to take extra night courses that relate to your
job and have the potential to help your company, tell your manager. Your employer may well pay for
the course, and your manager may be able to offer you flexible working hours to accommodate the
time needed for it.
Practical planning tips:
Spread your resolutions out
When you start planning, space your goals out over the year; it’s not realistic to expect to wake up
transformed on January 1st. It’s much easier to see what you want to do right away than to plan
what you want to accomplish in 6 months to a year, so creating a long-term plan will keep you on
track and help you achieve all of your goals, not just some.
Write your plans down where you can see them
Once you’ve taken the time to develop your list of goals, transfer them into your Outlook calendar or
diary as individual tasks, or display them in a visible place alongside your day-to-day activities. This
will allow you to keep your goals in mind and in motion throughout the year, and constantly refer to
them.
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2. Review your goals regularly
If you take the time to reassess your resolutions throughout the year, you’ll start to feel more in
control of them. Make a habit of scheduling in review time each week, so you can track your
progress on each task, and identify what the next step will be. While it’s great to have a big-picture
plan, it’s the small successes that will ultimately help you reach your goal. Try the weekly review
system from David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done”.
Tell people
Let your loved ones or colleagues know that you want to achieve a goal by a certain date. You’ll work
harder since they’ll make you feel accountable, and the support of your network will push you
forward.
Realise the power of your vision
If your goal is to get a promotion, picture yourself moving to your new office or changing your title in
your email signature to the one you desire. Seeing your goals happen will help you believe they’re
achievable. Create a vision for each of your resolutions, and think about them regularly. The more
you envision your success, the more likely it will come true.
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