How To Stay Focused On Achieving Your Career Goals

by Tony Colangelo

November 1, 2023

Why It Is Essential To Have a Career Goal Plan To Succeed in Today's Working World:

Throughout my career, I found it difficult to focus on the day-to-day challenges of a current role while keeping a close eye on my long-term career objectives. I was fortunate to have had the coaching and mentorship of some inspirational figures in my life. Through their coaching, they helped me realize that if I truly wanted to excel and achieve my career aspirations, I needed to develop a longer-term career strategy. I started my career with a mid-sized technology organization, and through setting career goals and planning, I moved next to work with tier-1 technology organizations. Through this experience, I realized my ultimate career goal was to work for a top-tier global consulting firm, that led me to joining EY Consulting. This outcome happened through having a solid career plan that underwent several revisions and adaptations over the years allowing me to successfully navigate unexpected challenges to meet my goal. After a very rewarding 18 year career as a Business Development Leader at EY, I retired to pursue Certification as an Executive Coach and open my own practice. I now have the privilege of helping my clients reach their ultimate career goals, which is my passion.

Wherever you are in your career journey, having a career plan and refining your goals as you move through the stages of your career will help keep you on course. Remember planning is critical, however your focus and determination to achieve the smaller goals along the way fuels success. Believe in yourself, continually learn, celebrate your successes, and surround yourself with positive colleagues and coaches to stay motivated along your journey to long-term career success.

Typical Challenges We Need To Overcome To Stay Focused On Our Career Goals:

• Managing Through Shifting Priorities:?As life unfolds, it is natural for our personal and career priorities to change. Therefore, we need to be prepared to regularly reassess our goals and make adjustments accordingly. While distractions will happen if not kept in check, they can lead to losing focus on your long-term career aspirations. We all know our careers are not a straight line from our first job to our dream job; therefore, it is essential to break down your career planning into quarterly and annual checkpoints. Schedule half a day each quarter to review and update your Plan. Successful leaders follow this approach as they realize it is a small investment with a very high payoff in the end. By regularly assessing your north star and celebrating your small successes, it becomes much easier to limit distractions and stay focused on your long-term career goals.??
• Avoiding Negative Influences:?It is essential to be aware of people in your life who may be impacting your positive outlook and career aspirations; unfortunately, this can lead to a loss of energy and focus on achieving your career goals. Take proactive steps to minimize negative influences, including surrounding ourselves with more positive, goal-oriented colleagues.
• Taking the Time For Self-Reflection & Development: In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become burned out and overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities and commitments. It's crucial to acknowledge that prolonged stress and burnout can significantly impact your energy levels and ability to maintain focus on your goals. To overcome these challenges, you need to revisit and reassess your career goals regularly to ensure they are aligned with your values and purpose. Seek support from a mentor or executive coach who can guide and inspire you along the way. Following the tips outlined in this article can help you overcome these challenges and enable you to reach your career goals.

"I am always more interested in what I am about to do than what I have already done." Rachel Carson

7 Keys To Staying Focused On Your Career Goals:

1. Take the Time To Conduct a Personal Career Goal Plan Review:?Start by taking the time to develop a clear understanding of your values and purpose. Understanding your core values and purpose will help you visualize what you want your future role (dream job and dream company) to be. Break down your goals into smaller, daily, and weekly actionable tasks to ensure that you are constantly progressing toward your ultimate objective while celebrating small successes along the way. Remember, this Personal Career Goal Plan is outside your company's annual review process; it is driven by you (with the support of a mentor or coach) to take control of your career destiny. Once you have outlined your Plan, review and update it quarterly. Below is a simple outline for your Personal Career Goal Plan review:

• Did I move closer to my career goals in the past year?
• I am happy with my progress; what went well? What were the challenges?
• What new ideas should I implement for next year, and what skills and behavior gaps do I need to work on?
• Is my current role and organization leading me to my long-term career goal? If not, is it time to start planning for a change in the next 12 months?
• Review your answers to these questions with your mentor or executive coach to gain their insights and review any skills/behavioral gaps required to develop your go-forward Plan.

Having this well-defined Plan not only provides you with the necessary direction but also helps you stay inspired and motivated along the way.

2. Become an Expert at Priority and Energy Management:?Prioritize your time and focus on the most critical tasks to help you achieve your career goals. Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. It is essential to understand that the key to time and priority management is "energy management," tackling the most important tasks related to your goals early in the day when you have the most energy. By focusing on high-impact activities first, you'll ensure maximum progress toward your goals. Take Regular Breaks, which will significantly enhance your focus levels and allow you to be sharp and "present in the moment." I have found that the most successful people have learned to "master being present," eliminating unnecessary distractions to allow them to accomplish their most critical tasks. Another helpful practice when taking breaks is deep breathing, which clears your mind, increases concentration and reduces stress. These tactics will boost your overall productivity and provide a greater sense of accomplishment as you navigate through your day successfully.?

3. Develop Your Growth Mindset:?This means embracing challenges, learning from failures, and seeking new opportunities for growth and development. By staying positive and open to new experiences, you can overcome distractions and stay focused on your career advancement. Learn from your setbacks, believe in your ability to overcome obstacles, and view them as opportunities for personal and professional development.?

4. Build Your Personal Brand:?The first step in this process is to work with an executive coach to help you assess your current brand perception. Once you have this knowledge, you can develop a plan to address any skill and behavioral gaps to increase your overall personal brand. Also, focus on your professional networks to grow your brand with individuals who are on a similar career path as you. Use LinkedIn regularly for collaboration, learning, and growth. Actively participate in industry events and conferences to increase your knowledge and connections with individuals who can offer valuable insights in your field.

5. Use Time Management Tools and Ensure You Have a Productive Work Space:?While technology can sometimes act as a double-edged sword when it comes to productivity, there are numerous tools available that can assist you in time and priority management. Explore task management apps or digital calendars tailored specifically for goal-oriented individuals. It is also crucial in our new hybrid and "work from home" environments to create a workspace that allows you to maintain your focus to be fully productive.

6. Evaluate Career Opportunities With Companies You Admire:?it is essential to evaluate how a company's values, goals, and purpose align with yours. Factors to consider, besides financial compensation, include work-life balance, people orientation, training, and long-term career support and advancement. To learn more about companies you are interested in, use LinkedIn to identify the key players in their organization and read about what they stand for. Connect with people in your 1st and 2nd-degree networks who work there, as they will provide you valuable insights and information to help you find desired opportunities.

7. Own Your Plan To Stay Accountable and Celebrate Success: Having an accountability partner, such as a mentor or executive coach, is crucial to long-term success in achieving your career goals. You need a trusted person to give you an outside view of your current situation, strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral and skills gaps. These Individuals will help keep you on track and inspired to do the necessary work in your Plan to reach your goals.

Conclusion:?In today's fast-paced world, you can successfully stay focused on your long-term career advancement by developing a personal Career Goal Plan, mastering prioritization and energy management, having a growth mindset, and creating a strong personal brand. The final ingredient is surrounding yourself with supportive individuals, including a mentor or coach genuinely interested in your success. By following this approach, you will unlock your full potential and stay on track to reach your long-term career goals!

Please let me know your thoughts and comments on this topic. I look forward to hearing your perspectives.

Tony Colangelo?is a certified executive coach and founder of eXecutive Factor Coaching. Tony is also a speaker and author of the Blog Series "Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned When I Was Younger". Tony has over 30 years of experience in Leadership roles in the management consulting and information technology industries.. Contact tony on LinkedIn https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/tonyxfactorcoaching or [email protected] for a free consultation to help you reach your career goals.

This article is Leadership Lesson #12?from my Blog Series "Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned When I Was Younger,"?

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