What steps can you take to adjust your career goals when you encounter unexpected challenges?

Take chances and don’t be afraid to take some risks. You will never enjoy your life if you’re always hiding behind your fears. If you want to do something, as I have read somewhere, “You have to want it more than you fear it.” Taking chances means trying things regardless of its outcome because the real essence is in the process. You may not win on your first try, but the lessons you’ve learned while trying, will help you build a stronger version of yourself. Enjoy and celebrate even the little achievement that you’ve accomplished.

One of the most consistent elements in our careers is the inevitability of change! So, get comfortable being agile and have a willingness to pivot when you need to. Change is hard but learning how to break down your goals into manageable chunks and knowing when to change things to ensure success is key. If you are going down a dead end road, stop, and turn around. You'll thank yourself for that u-turn!

Career goals need to be flexible and correspond with the movement of our lives and the shifting contexts that influence our relationship with work and career. Career goals that are personally defined, flexible in design, continuously monitored, and adjusted when needed, are intrinsically valuable, meaningful, and sustainable.

Defining your core values is crucial, they become the guiding star for your life. Picture them as the vision, and your career journey as the mission. Routes may change, but the ultimate goal remains rooted in your values, forming a steadfast foundation for your aspirations.

I took an HR Benefits role because I wanted to find out if I enjoyed the work. After a couple of months, I found the overall job was not a fit for me. It was highly detail oriented with numerous rules and regulations. I knew I didn't want to move forward in Benefits. I started looking at what I enjoyed about the job. I liked working with the insurance brokers and strengthened my interpersonal skills and I enjoyed learning and using the benefit technology. I started looking for roles that incorporated those components in HR and roles that fit for me. Being honest with yourself is critical and once you decide you can take steps to course correct. Don't stay in a job you don't enjoy.

Don't forget the process. Creating a career goal is only one step. Bringing a career goal to life requires our full participation. It's easy to get caught up in an objective strategy for career goals and forget the person whose subjective aspirations, motivation, lived experience and day-to-day realities ultimately fuel a goal's execution.