Here we are at the end of another year. Are you feeling like you are stuck in a dead-end street? Does everyone around you seem to be going forward and achieving their dreams while you sit doing the same thing day in and day out? If so, it is time to make a U-turn, look for available opportunities and start to travel the road that goes on endlessly, gets better the further you go and gives you alternative roads to follow.
If you put your career in the hands of others – your organisation, your boss, your partner, or even (originally) your parents – you risk not living the life you want but rather working to achieve someone else’s dream and helping them reach their goals.
You have to be proactive. You have to take charge, and change the way you think about your career. When you take control, you will realise that the only way to achieve what you want, personally or professionally, is to think about where you want to go, put in place a plan to get there, and then start moving.
Where do you start?
- Taking a long hard look at who you are and what you want to do with your life. What is your passion and what do you enjoy? What can you see yourself doing for the rest of your life?
If you are in a career you are happy with, ask yourself what you need to do to reach the top of where you are (there is always room for improvement). How do you want to be remembered and recognised? Understand yourself and what you want to do and this will help you to set meaningful goals.
- Define your goals in terms of what you want to achieve and the steps you need to get there.
- Identify your skills gap. What skills do you need to achieve your goals? What are you good at and what are the areas that need improvement.
- Create an action plan that will fill this gap, and help you move closer to your end goal and success.
Next week we will start looking at how you can better understand yourself and your needs to help you move forward with your personal development plan.