{"id":3644,"date":"2023-01-12T14:19:10","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T14:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetalentcycle.co.uk\/?p=3644"},"modified":"2023-01-12T14:22:14","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T14:22:14","slug":"achieve-great-things-with-a-new-year-new-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetalentcycle.co.uk\/uncategorized\/achieve-great-things-with-a-new-year-new-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Achieve great things with a new year new plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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So here we are again, half way through January with the dreaded \u2018Blue Monday\u2019 looming.\u00a0 For lots of us, the new year starts full of promise, with ideas of all that you will achieve this year and the amazing success we will have (don\u2019t know what success looks like to you? Don\u2019t forget my blog post on Success criteria<\/a>).\u00a0 But it\u2019s not too long before those ideas feel like they\u2019re crumbling around you.\u00a0 Not only did you not just eat salad a drop a dress size in the first week (those left over Quality Street were just too tempting), work has taken over and before you know it, your ideas of moving forward with your career have disappeared and that life \u2018juggle\u2019 has taken over.<\/p>\n

Often we fail with our plans as we have vague ideas rather than smart goals.\u00a0 This is the process I use for both myself and with my clients, to plan for the year ahead and achieve career dreams.<\/p>\n

Define your Priorities<\/p>\n

What is your focus this year?\u00a0 Take time to list out your priorities (and research shows doing this with physical pen and paper means we\u2019re more likely to commit to it).\u00a0 Pick three to five top priorities which you want to focus on.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sure, working on this with a coach can be beneficial and one of the activities I often carry out with clients is to look at a \u2018wheel of life\u2019 which helps define different categories of a person\u2019s life, how well things are going in each and where the focus needs to be.\u00a0 Our careers are not separate entities, it\u2019s important to take a holistic approach to career planning and define all your priorities for your life this year.<\/p>\n

Fill in Your Schedule<\/p>\n

Look at a yearly calendar. What essential commitments have you already made? What important holidays, birthdays, and events do you need to plan around?<\/p>\n

Once you have the \u00a0major events penned in, you will have a better idea of what kinds of projects and goals for the year will be realistic.<\/p>\n

Set Goals<\/p>\n

Now that you know what time you have, you can re-evaluate your priorities.\u00a0 This might mean you need to focus on fewer than you thought or perhaps you have a larger scale priority which needs to be broken down into smaller \u2018chunks\u2019.\u00a0 Often when I work with clients I talk about whether you\u2019re starting out in your first career, or looking to make changes to an established one, the fact is that it will be a journey.\u00a0 So you need to plan the steps of that journey in detail, to help you move forward and feel that momentum as you do.<\/p>\n

And those steps need to be translated into goals.\u00a0 First of all, what\u2019s the \u201cWhy\u201d behind your goals? Why do you want to accomplish those goals you set? How are they going to impact your life? How will you feel when it\u2019s done?\u00a0 Next, make sure your goals are \u201cSmart.\u201d Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (or Realistic), Time-bound.<\/p>\n

Establish Good Habits<\/p>\n

When it comes to achieving goals, a good habit will help you along the way so \u2018life\u2019 doesn\u2019t take over and de-rail you.\u00a0 One of my goals this year is to do with finally writing that Careers Planner I\u2019ve been talking about for years. \u00a0To help me achieve this I have allocated some set time for working on it each week.\u00a0 In order to protect that time which is early in the morning on a set day, I have set about establishing good habits like clearing my desk of other work the night before so I don\u2019t get distracted when I first sit down in the morning and waste part of that time.<\/p>\n

Reality Check<\/p>\n

If you goals are too ambitious you may get overwhelmed and not even try.\u00a0 However, too small and you might wonder why bother?\u00a0 A goal that is stretching, is the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget these goals are not set in stone.\u00a0 Maybe a way in you discover that what you planned isn\u2019t going to work for you because your interests have changed, or life has thrown you a curve ball.\u00a0 Reviewing (regularly) and adapting your goals is all part of the process.\u00a0 It is not the same as failure, or drifting.\u00a0 This is all about taking a considered and planned approach and what better way to prepare yourself for an agile career as to be open to swerves and changes in direction on your own agile career journey.<\/p>\n

Failing is good<\/p>\n

But on the topic of failing, if you don\u2019t manage to achieve your goals then don\u2019t beat yourself up over that.\u00a0 Review what went wrong and go from there.\u00a0 Maybe you were too ambitious with your time, then plan better next time.\u00a0 Perhaps you didn\u2019t have the skills you needed, what a brilliant excuse for some more learning!\u00a0 Whatever happens, you can adapt and adjust but above all else, don\u2019t just give up.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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