Setting and Achieving Career Goals

In order to have a clear picture of where you are charting in your career and what you would like to accomplish from your career, you must have a clear set of career goals.   This article discusses how to chart your career by setting and achieving your career goals.

First, set your career goals. In order to know where you would like to get to in your career, you must be clear in your career goals. It may be a good idea to write down exactly what you would like to achieve, how much money you would like to make, and what type of tasks you would like to do. In order to achieve career goals, follow the following steps.

Outline how you plan to achieve your ultimate career goal. In order to reach your ultimate career goal, you must have a step-by-step plan to reach it. Each step along the way should comprise of multiple prongs, or perhaps backup plans, in case one route fails. It is not likely to be possible to achieve the ultimate career goal in one step. Take it step-by-step and be patient. Be creative to think about different ways you can accomplish your goal. Have backup plans or perhaps even a backup goal, depending on how much you want to achieve your ultimate goal.

Reach a little higher. Do not be afraid to reach a little higher than what you think you might achieve. There really are no boundaries except the ones that you impose upon yourself. Don't settle for second best. Settle for the best and the best type of career and career path that you think you would like to achieve, and go and achieve it.

Ask and emulate others. Ask how other successful people who have achieved the career goal that you desire how they did it. Correspond or talk with them. More often than not, they will be very pleased to describe their ascent up the ladder to you. Or, perhaps someone famous has written a book or autobiography on how they did it. Of course, everyone's path should be different, but you can at least get a flavor of how they achieved their career goal. If some people are not willing to talk to you, try to find someone with a similar occupation or job level that you had in mind and perhaps talk with them.

Make money secondary to your career goal. If you would like to achieve your career goal, the money should be secondary to it. In other words, the money follows, not precedes the career goal. If you would like to make money, then set up a separate goal to make money and how you plan to do that. However, more often than not, once you achieve your career goal, you make the money.

Study your profession. Know your profession inside out. You must know the technical details as well as the broad picture and future directions of your field inside out. Reading thoroughly and extensively the previous and current knowledge is a must in order to do well in your chosen field. Become one of the few experts in your field, and that itself, will be highly regarded, as well as intrinsically advance your career goal because you will know the ins and outs of your trade better than most other people.

Celebrate along the way. With each small triumph, each little victory, each new success celebrate your achievement. Without them, you would not be able to achieve your major goal. It also gives you positive reinforcement that you are on the right track, and some happiness so that you will continue to persevere. Reward yourself. Celebrate with others. Don't be a grouch and only be happy once your reach your ultimate target because reaching and attaining career goals should be a journey to be enjoyed. Because by the end of the journey after you reach it, you may ask yourself, "What was all that for?" So, 
try to enjoy every moment in your striving to reach your career goal, even though some parts of the journey may be bitter and rough. Do not be discontent with your progress because that will make you bitter. Try to revel and enjoy every little step you make and be happy as long as you have tried your best.

Once you achieve your career goal, try to look back at what you have done. Try to help others in their career paths. Create opportunities and new chances for others. Perhaps you can help even more people achieve your career goal than the positions were available at your time. Help others grow and achieve the dreams that you had once only envisioned.

In summary, to set and achieve your career goals

A. First, set your career goals.

B. Outline how you plan to achieve your ultimate career goal.

C. Reach a little higher.

D. Ask and emulate others.

E. Make money secondary to your career goal.

F. Study your profession.

G. Celebrate along the way.

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