How to Set Specific Career Goals

I decided to start the week with this. I’ve discovered that for experienced professionals, some things seem like platitudes. But for folks who are still feeling their way through their career, and “adulting" the right type of guidance helps. You feel overwhelmed at work & are not doing tasks you like. Unmotivated & frustrated, you're uncertain if you should quit, pursue a master’s program, or start your own business. But even that is confusing! Sounds familiar? Here is how I recommend you get out of that rut. 1) 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: It's okay not knowing everything. The key is to embrace learning & keep growing each day. Accept that it's fine to make mistakes, provided you learn from them. It's part of the learning curve. 2) 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: SMART= specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Instead of saying, "I want to get better at my job," say, "I want to improve my sales numbers by X% in Q3." This gives you a clear target and a way to measure your progress. 3) 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 Y𝐨𝐮𝐫 G𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: Have clear, tangible goals and visualize them daily. They serve as your signal in times of uncertainty and remind you what your targets are. 4) 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: While motivation is a can aid action, it fluctuates. Discipline, on the other hand, keeps you going even when motivation wanes. Discipline is committing to your goals and working towards them, 5) 𝐀𝐜𝐭!: Instead of waiting for the perfect plan, take action based on the information you have. Be willing to adjust your approach as you gain new insights, moving closer to your goals with each step forward. 6) 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: Seek constructive feedback from colleagues, mentors, or supervisors. This can give you insight into areas where you can improve. Remember, feedback is not a criticism of you as a person but a tool to help you improve. 7) 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬: Maintain a sense of curiosity about your work and field. This can lead to a deeper understanding and open new avenues for growth. Ask questions, do research, & always strive to know more. 8) 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: Building relationships can be beneficial. You can learn from experiences, get advice, & discover opportunities you would not have otherwise found. Don't be afraid to connect with others. 9) 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Everyone has days they feel inadequate. It's part of being human. Instead of feeling bad about yourself, approach these situations objectively. 10) 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞: Work is important, but so is the rest of your life. Ensure you have work-life balance. This prevents burnout & keeps you from getting overwhelmed. Relax. Spend time with loved ones. Remember, personal & professional development is a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery. Embrace the process, stay resilient, & enjoy the fulfillment that comes from progress and achievement. Have a great week. Davidson 

I paid a business coach $5,000 to teach me how to set goals properly. Here’s the framework I was taught: This is one of the simplest AND most effective ways I’ve ever seen goal-setting be done. A. You start by setting a 10 year goal This should be audacious, lifestyle oriented, and somewhat vague. Examples of a 10 year goal: - “married, 2-3 kids, big house” - “Traveling the world full time” - “$100M+ net worth” The way you mess up here is by under-shooting/underestimating yourself. People always overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in 10 years. B. Set a 3 year goal to hit the 10 year goal: Answer this question: “What needs to be done by year 3 for me to be on track to hit the 10 year goal?” When you set your year 3 goal, it should still be vague, but have some general lifestyle outcomes… Examples of 3 year goals: - “Married to my SO” - “taking 8 weeks of vacations per year” - “$500K+ in cash flow” C. Set a 1 year goal to hit the 3 year goal: Answer this question: “What needs to be done by the end of year 1 for me to be on track to hit the 3 year goal?” These should be SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-bound) Examples of 1 year goals: - Able to spend 2-3 evenings per week not working, doing a hobby with my SO - Hire a GM who can allow me to take 2-4 weeks of vacation per year - $200k in cash flow after paying a GM D. Set a goal for this quarter to hit the 1 year goal: Answer this question: “What needs to be done this quarter for me to be on track to hit the 1 year goal?” Thes should have very specific results with very specific numbers to reach for (again, SMART goals) Examples of quarterly goals: - Spending 1 evening per weekday, doing an activity with my SO - hire 2 new technicians who each produce $8K in MRR - grow marketing spend to $10,000 to generate demand for technicians Now, all you have to do is measure yourself against your quarterly goals and you’ll start inching towards your ambitious 10-year plan. E. Set weekly KPIs to ensure you’re on track for your quarterly goals. Lastly, tie it all together. Track the MAIN small actions you need to do on a weekly basis in a spreadsheet. You don’t need to think anymore. Just do that action daily, record it, and the results will flow all the way up to your main Vision. This is the $5,000 framework (simplified) Thanks for the read. My goal is to get more active on LinkedIn, so will be posting more content. If this was helpful, shoot me a follow! #goals #entrepreneurship 

What advice do you have for someone focusing on career progression? ✏️ I worked with someone who had a five-year plan, and she was able to make her career decisions by whether or not they aligned with the plan. I was amazed, having never had a one-year, much less five-year plan for my own career. Having grown my own career "organically" rather than to a plan, and having worked with many who have a plan, I can attest to the value of having a plan, if you are focusing on career progression. But remember - it's okay to not focus on career progression. When making a career plan, it's important to break it down into big picture, long term objectives, which then get refined to specific "SMART"* goals for short term, measurable steps aligned with the objectives. Think about it like this: 1️⃣ What's my 5-year vision? High level, where do I want to be? 2️⃣ What's a key growth metric I'd like to "level up" in this year? 3️⃣ What am I doing this quarter (SMART goals)? 4️⃣ What are the activities I'm working on (daily/weekly) to meet the goals? 5️⃣ How am I making sure I have time for everything on a daily basis? By going from big picture to small details it helps not overwhelm yourself with everything you must do to meet your long-term goals. It also means your plan stays adaptable. You can't predict the future, so having detailed tasks assigned years out means you probably have to revise your plan frequently as life deals out its surprises. This model works for any sort of long-term growth but can be particularly relevant to career progression. When you know where you want to end up, and learn what is needed to be there, you can set the short term, SMART goals along the way to get there. While I haven't had a 5-year plan, I have used this approach for 1-year and 90-day planning. I've attached a single page template I use for my own planning - it goes from the year (top line vision) down to the day at the bottom - with space in the middle for a 90-day outlook and important things to track. Message me if you'd like a copy of the PDF. I'd love to hear your thoughts on achieving goals and personal vision statements, or other techniques you've used when focusing on career growth. What worked for you? What could be improved in what I suggest? Let's talk below! 👇 * Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound