Sometimes at the start of a new year, we are a bit overambitious with what we hope to achieve in the year ahead. How are your resolutions going so far? The halfway point can be a nice time to reflect on your goals. It might help to make them more manageable by following these simple tips below:
Be Realistic
Set no more than three goals and a reasonable timeframe to achieve them. You should challenge and stretch yourself but don’t pick goals that are impossible to achieve. Also make sure the goal matters and are relevant – you must really want it for you to follow through. To learn how to set SMART goals to improve your career, read this brief Indeed article, Setting Goals to Improve your Career.
Set Milestones
The enthusiasm you feel when you commit to your career goals may wane over time. To stay focused and motivated the experts recommend creating short-term goals that serve as milestones toward your end goal. These interim goalposts will make you feel good about your progress, so you won’t give up along the way. For example, if your long-term goal is to have a job offer in your desired career path by the end of your training experience, you might set a short-term goal of obtaining a detail to gain relevant experience.
Keep Things in Perspective
If unplanned family, school, or work demands interfere with your plans and you can’t complete your goals within the set timeframes, don’t sweat it. You probably have a lot on your plate so don’t make it worse by adding self-imposed pressures.
If you are an NIH trainee, you can make an appointment to meet with a career counselor to assess your short-term and long-term career goals by visiting https://www.training.nih.gov/career_services.
