When VHTO asked me what my number one career tip was, this was the first one that came to mind. “If you don’t have or make your own plan, you are always part of someone else’s plan!”.
That may sound a bit heavy, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.
Just think of a situation at work. If you don’t make your own day planning with your priorities in mind, there is a good chance that someone will come in with a “last-minute” appointment. Or with a project that is “urgent”. (You can wonder how urgent it really is when someone turns up so late…..)
The same goes for a plan or objectives in a larger perspective. If you don’t have your own career plan or ambitions, there’s a good chance that your manager will work it out for you. Often an option that most likely fits better in your manager’s plan than in yours. This is not to say that your manager has wrong or bad intentions with this, but he or she often has a different perspective than you.
I’m also not saying that you have to make a complete multi-year plan. You can make a plan in the term that works for you and what feels right for you. Plans can be as big and as small as you make them.
My opinion is that if you are going to work with objectives, they should be a bit challenging. It should give you just a little bit of the creeps. That will challenge you to grow and to take a step out of your comfort zone. And that’s the place where the “magic happens”!
5 practical tips for you to get started with building your plan:
- Determine your goals. These can be long or short term, but decide what you want in your life and work. You can also include what objectives you have to ensure that you are successful in your current position or in a position you would like to have in the future.
- Define your actions. What steps will you take to achieve your goals? What do you need to do to successfully make those goals a reality? Action is needed for that. Without action, your dreams remain your dreams and will not become a reality. Decide which small steps you need to take.
- Make a schedule. Make your plan and determine when you will take which actions and steps. Attach a timeline to this and determine a deadline for each action.
- Set your priorities. Determine which actions you will take first and therefore have priority. Give this a place in your agenda so that you really schedule time for it and make time for it. Don’t be tempted to do something else at those moments, because your actions are relevant to your goals and they determine your happiness and success!
- Create a vision board. A vision board is a super handy tool to shape your dreams and goals. This makes it tangible and provides a daily reminder of the things that are important to you. This will give them a place in your mind and life and you will see that you will become a lot more goal-oriented and able to strive with more focus on what is really important to you!
Could you use some help with your plan? Do you have no idea where to start or what you really want with your career or in life? Or are you stuck in your plan and are you struggling to get into action mode?
Schedule a brainstorming session with me right here and I’m happy to help you!
