Same place next year? Or not?

How many of you have already lost track of your resolutions for this year? What about last year?

If one of the resolutions you lost sight of last year was to change role or progress your career somehow... then this is for you.

The problem with long term goals is... they are long term.

If you are someone who can keep their sights set on the long term whilst also maintaining everything in the now then I salute you. For many of us though, long term goals, like career development or 'this time next year I will be...' is that they are long term. Something in the future is nowhere near as compelling as something today. And let's face it, there's plenty of things today that need your focus and your attention!

So that goal, that job change, it remains in the distance, a castle in the sky, because there is always something more compelling that needs your focus today.

Until you realise that next year is now today. And that goal needs more work than you can do today. So it gets pushed forward again.

Another year has gone by. You are still in the same role and you are still pissed off that other people are progressing and you are not.

Another problem with long term goals is they require lots of steps

And those steps aren't always clear. The shiny castle in the sky is compelling. But there's what feels like a huge forest in between, with no visible path. So even if the castle comes to your mind...you don't know where to start.

And then another today problem hits you and you turn your attention to that. Because solving that is more rewarding than feeling like you don't know what to do to even start going towards your castle.

The third problem is that it's only for you and no one else.

And there are always things for other people that need to be done. Other people depend on you. You can't let them down. Your shiny castle will have to wait. But, that's OK. It's only for you and it would be selfish to prioritise your needs and wants over other people, wouldn't it.

Wouldn't it?

(Spoiler alert: it wouldn't. And the narrative of why we believe we should wait to be noticed and put ourselves far down a priority list is a whole different article)

How to find a way through?

It is possible to work through these problems (although the third problem requires the most work to change).

Bring the distant thing closer

If the castle in the sky feels too far away to be motivating or compelling to you for action TODAY, then bring it closer to you. If it feels like it is too big to even contemplate, break it down into chunks that feel manageable.

For example, today you are just going to think about what could be the first steps, if you were to look at career progression. Just list the things you'd need to consider, hypothetically - types of role you'd like, whose help and support you need, who to talk to about more information.

Great! You've made a start! That wasn't so bad! I wonder what the next step would be? And do you have 10 minutes to think about it?

Gamify it - with accountability

And then how can you gamify it a bit... some external accountability maybe. Say out loud to someone else what your goal is. And ask them to check in on you. Or (if you are demand avoidant and don't react well to being checked in on!), make a commitment to do something and that you will tell them when you've done it.

For the second problem, of what the heck is the path to a castle in the sky... take the stress out of it. Make it hypothetical. In theory what would the first step be. Then what next and what after that.

And who could theoretically help you. And how could you persuade them to do that.

No timings. No pressure at this point. Just what is the sequence of steps.

And if you don't know, who does? And when can you ask them?

Believe you are important

The final problem is the hardest. Believing that a goal for YOU is important. And matters. All sorts of things can get in the way of this.

• Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Believing that narrative that you should wait to be noticed and rewarded.
• Believing all those senior leaders on panels when they blithely say 'I was tapped on the shoulder for a job' rather than sharing all the networking and hustling and asking for sponsorship that led to that job offer.

Action leads to motivation. Not the other way round

Just begin. Start. Anywhere. Because then you can celebrate action and feed your motivation to take more action.

I can help you! Just message me for a conversation.

I work with people just like you, to help them work through these problems so that they CAN and DO move forward with their career. We break it into steps. We confront those pesky narratives about what we can and can't do. We ask for help from colleagues and managers.

And I am your accountability partner and cheerleader every step of the way.