#GOALS: A Better You in 2018

Ready or not, 2017 is coming to an end (wasn’t it JUST summer?!)…This is usually the time of year for reflection and planning. Did you set good goals this past year, personal and/or professional? Did you reach them?

I don’t necessarily believe that New Year resolutions are all that effective. While I do believe that the effort to adopt resolution shows positive intent, a better alternative is to develop new goals for the future. Here are some ways you can get started:

Hindsight is 20/20.

Whether you were successful or struggled in 2017, hindsight provides you wisdom into understanding how you arrived where you are. It also provides you with intuition into the future. 

Do some self-reflection.

Identify why you might have missed the mark. Was it something within your control? Self-reflection is often a difficult task to perform. Most of the people I know want to believe that they are always right! For them to think that taking another route could have saved time or might have had a more successful outcome, seems absurd.

Be open to new opportunities.

“To get something you never had, you have to do something you've never done.” ~Unknown

Be open to letting new things in your life when they present themselves. We tend to become so stuck or blinded by our daily routines and limited thinking that we’re not on the lookout for new potential opportunities when they come our way. So, visualize success, think positively, and be open to new experiences-you never know where they will take you.

The 3 Cs of life: Choice, Chance, Change.

“The price of security is insecurity”- Buddha

You must make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change! It’s really that simple. Stop making choices in life by default. It really does start with the decisions you make. And the first one is to stop letting your fears do the talking in your head.

Consider a Push Goal. 

“Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you land among the stars” ~Unknown

It is easy to become complacent, so consider a “push goal”. A push goal is the one goal on your list that if achieved would make all (or most) of the others possible. Even if it is not easily obtainable, still try to strive for it. You might surprise yourself.

This can include realizing it is time to move on and make a change in your career. Now is the perfect time to prepare. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile, or sign up for that class or certification course you’ve always wanted to take. Fun fact: LinkedIn sees the most traffic during the next couple of months. (Download a “Push Goal Planner” here.)

What are your goals for 2018? Explore what the New Year can offer you career-wise, with a recruiting professional. They will be able to educate you on the current employment market, and where to go from here.