So another year has rolled around, yay! Well, sometimes not always… society seems to get fixated on this pressure of “New Year, New You” and for a month or so a lot of people find themselves forcing habits that aren’t necessarily healthy or achievable. Finding themselves giving up, as they were never possible, or getting defeated before they have even started. So, how can you make realistic career goals in 2023?
There is no point making goals that are unachievable to start with as this will leave you deflated, disinterested and you will most likely never attack any of your goals from purely being daunted by the size of them. I recommend making one Short Term Goal – this could be updating your Linkedin and making 10 new connections in 2 months, and making one Long Term Goal – look at finding the career you want to pursue and apply/get an apprenticeship, internship, job etc in that sector.
Once you have chosen your Long-Term Goal, allow yourself the year to complete it, as this gives you time to complete this goal to the best of your ability without being stressed. By giving yourself a clear deadline of when it is needed to be achieved, it alleviates the chance of feeling like you are “running out” of time.
I recommend creating 4 Short-Term Goals a year, one every three months. Short Term Goals should only be taking between 1-2 months to complete but by giving yourself 3 months, it allows scope for; busy periods in your life, extra time, and a stress-free environment making them be more achievable. By having 4 Short-Term Goals a year, you have the opportunity to constantly update your aspirations for 2023, as you go through it. Ticking off a goal every three months is also a great way of keeping on track and realising what you can reach when you are at your full potential.
Where do you see yourself at the end of 2023 and how much progress would you like to make? It is okay to adapt your goals throughout the year – there are no rules when making them. Have a mind map of what would be your ideal end of the year achievements and your take aways; one key factor that keeps appearing throughout all of your notes – this can be your Long-Term Goal. Have a look at easy, achievable notes that you have written – these can be your Short-Term Goals. It is always nice to set a goal that’s something new or something that you may not have tried, for example go to a social networking event. Not all of your goals have to be professionally focused; they could also be about your approach to your career such as: gaining confidence, trying something different, meeting new people, gaining better knowledge in a specific area, or becoming better at Excel.
Make sure you keep checking in with yourself throughout 2023 to keep on track of your goals and try not to stress when things don’t go 100% to plan, as sometimes it’s harder/easier to achieve something than we realise. Fingers crossed that by December 2023, you will have achieved, what you set out to, at the start of 2023.
