The importance of setting Career Goals

People tend to shrug their shoulders when you tell them about setting career goals but little do they know that setting these goals, be it long term or short term, professional or personal can give one the necessary motivation to achieve this goal. Psychologists and neurologists say that our brains treat failure to achieve our goals the same way it treats the loss of a valued possession, up until that goal is archived. So setting up your goal will drive you to work towards accomplishing it. 

A Harvard Business study discovered noteworthy statistics relating to goal setting and success. It indicated that: 

•   83% of the population does not have goals
•   14% have a plan in mind but are unwritten goals
•   3% have goals written down

The study found that the 14% who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals. The 3% with written goals are 3 times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals. 

Ten years later, they interviewed the members of the class once again.
•   The 14% of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 83% who had no goals at all
•   More shocking, the 3% with clear, written goals were making ten times as much as the other 97% put together!

Assuming that we all set goals here are the key to setting clear achievable career goals. 

Write it down
Writing a goal down forces you to be clear and specific about what you want. A study found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down. Written goals are easy to measure and push you to openly define what your goals are, they become concrete and real. With the busy lives, we lead it can be difficult to remember everything so writing it down will come in handy. 

Plan of action
Turning a theoretical goal into reality requires an action plan. An action plan allows you to break each goal down into sub-goals which you can then put into a timeframe. The timeframe then allows you to measure your progress to the bone this will also help you define the resources, time, and money you'll need to invest to achieve your goal. So break down your plan into steps and attach a realistic deadline to each step. 

Measuring progress
Setting goals enables you to measure their progress, and to determine the level of success. The idea that you know you are making good progress will give you the drive needed to see the goal through. Being able to measure progress encourages you to stick with your goal. And if you are making good progress, your confidence is bound to grow along with your motivation. 

Research has proven that 50% of people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them than those who don't and further states that goals 'held' in the mind are more likely to be mixed up with the other 1500 thoughts per minute that the average human being experiences, making writing goals even more vital!
Without goals, you subject yourself to the default set of actions that keep you feeling safe and comfortable every day but this default stands in the way of your growth goal setting is critical. So go ahead, set your career goals now! Take some time out and see how meaningful they can be.

If your career goal for this year is to look for other job opportunities, we can assist. Contact Communicate Recruitment today!