Career Advice: How to Start Making Progress on Long-Term Career Goals

Have you already planned your 2016 goals to enhance your career? Sometimes making that list or calendar can be daunting but working towards major job resolutions can be made easy by making smaller goals.

It's already half-way through the month of January and you probably have not made a New Year's resolution list during New Year's eve because you might be thinking "What's the point?" because you know you won't be able to them anyway. Well, it's time to change that mindset.

Here are six tips for you to be on a productive mindset for 2016:

  1. Explore the Core - Ask yourself, "why is this happening?". It could be an emotional aspect of your life that prevents you from moving forward. It could be fear of change, financial anxiety, etc. If you are deeply concerned about these negative thoughts or feelings that affect your career, you need to talk to people close to you. Work things out with people who you trust.
  2. Decide on your End Goal - Now you know what is holding you back. What are you going to do with that information? Connect it to your career goal. Are you going to develop a new skill? Change careers? Create an end goal and use it as a reminder. Then create a timeline. Don't be pressured because nobody says you have until December to to achieve it. 
  3. Look for Examples - You can't do this on your own and sometimes it's a good idea to look up to people who have been through the same thing. Learn from experts who were in the same position that you are in now. 
  4. Think small - You've heard other people say "Think Big!" but that's what stops people from moving forward sometimes. Start with something small and manageable that your personality and stress level can control or balance. How quickly you want to reach your end goal will be determined by the small steps you take towards it. Make your small goals specific as possible, for example : enroll in a relevant course to enhance a certain skill.
  5. Stay Positive - Because let's face it, something will happen along the way which can derail your plans and put you in a slump. But don't be carried away by negativity. Slow down and remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place. You've done the research and steps, go back and redo what you think needs changing.
  6. Don't Wait - Waiting means putting off things for another day. The more excuses you make, the less likely it becomes that you will get to fulfill your goals. There is no right time or a good time. There is only now. So might as well get started.

These tips can help you work toward the best version of yourself when it comes to your career.

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