Simply saying you want something to happen is not ‘setting goals’ for yourself. You need to define what you want and understand why you want it to increase your odds of reaching your goals. Would you set off on a trip without a destination in mind? You may, but it may be a waste of your time or you may end up where you did not want to be! Look at goals like signposts for your career. They can help you to take back control, provide guidance, motivation and the satisfaction that comes with achieving a meaningful goal.

Motivation

Motivation is key to achieving goals. Set goals that genuinely motivate you. It is not much fun working towards a goal that does not excite you – you will give up before you achieve it. This will just leave you feeling disappointed or frustrated.

Think about setting a goal and analyse why it is so important to you. If you are not excited about it, then it's probably not worth pursuing. Only have select goals you are committed to achieving as too many goals will leave you with too little time to devote to each goal. Ask yourself what the value is in reaching these goals. Is it a high priority in your career?

Be SMART

SMART goals work best because you can evaluate your progress objectively.

The best goals are SMART goals:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Attainable.
• Relevant.
• Time Sensitive.

Specific goals - your goal must be clear and well defined so as to provide good direction towards where you want to end up.

Measurable goals - give yourself an achievable timeline for success. Without a way to measure your success, you may miss out on the sense of achievement that comes with reaching a goal.

Attainable goals - make your goals achievable without them being too easy. Easy goals can be anti-climactic, leaving you with a feeling of non-achievement, while not reaching tough goals can demotivate and leave you with a lack of confidence. Realistic yet challenging goals which ‘raise the bar’ will bring great satisfaction once achieved.

Relevant goals - goals should be relevant to the direction you want your career to take. By setting widely scattered and inconsistent goals, you will waste your time and focus.

Time-sensitive goals - when you are working to a deadline, you should have a sense of urgency to reach your goal. Also, having a deadline means that you know when you can celebrate your achievement.

Document

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. Frame your goal statement positively so that it motivates; use the positive words like "will" - “I will learn about XYZ”, rather than “I want to learn XYZ” which gives you an ‘out’. Keep your goals visible, reminding you daily of your intentions for added urgency and motivation. You have no excuse for forgetting about it.

Action plan

Plan all of the steps that are needed to achieve your goal. By writing out the individual  steps and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you will realise that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal.

Persevere

Remember, goal-setting is an ongoing activity. Build-in reminders to keep yourself on track, and review your goals regularly. Your end destination may remain the same while your route may have plenty of twists and turns.