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Setting and Achieving Professional Goals

by Kara Guerra, SERVPRO Team McCabe

What are your professional goals? That can seem like a really loaded question if you haven’t thought about it before. Perhaps you’re like me and have been playing your career by ear. Perhaps you have had a plan all along. Either way, trying to evaluate where you want to go can cause a slight (or not so slight) existential crisis. So let’s work this out together.

Why

Your why is your own personal mission statement, the thing that makes you who you are. Unfortunately, your why isn’t something that you just stumble upon the answer to. It is a deep, meaningful answer that if you don’t have immediately, that’s okay! Look at your values, motivation, passion, and strengths and find the thing that propels you forward. It’s a loaded question so it’s okay to take your time with it.

Evaluate yourself

Evaluate yourself to see where you are at and where you are hoping to be in the future. Do you have a plan for the next 2, 5, and 10 years? Are you going to be in the same position or will your experience grow out of your current role and into another? What will your family life look like and how will that affect you professionally? My husband dreams we’re gonna have 3 kids, 10 acres, and about 27 dogs so I have to figure out how I’m gonna provide for a farm. Keep asking yourself these questions, they will help you figure out what you will need to do or even realize what may be unrealistic, you know, like that 28th dog.

Make sure your goals are SMART

Now that we’ve answered all of these questions it’s time to start making our goals. When you get into setting your goals make sure they are SMART. That is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed. Making sure your goals meet these qualifications will help ensure that you can achieve them (it’s right there in the acronym).

Use your resources

Use your resources to help get you through these goals. There is so much technology out there such as digital calendars, classes, tutorials, pretty much anything you could think of! You also have an amazing network through CAI that sets up events, study groups, and connects you with people that have been right where you are now. You are not alone in anything, and if you are, please reach out and we will go get coffee and plan this out!

Treat Yourself

Have you achieved one or more of your goals? Celebrate it, be proud! This is a great way to stay motivated for the next goal and also a great excuse to do something nice for yourself. Treat yourself, you deserve it!

Let’s head into 2023 with a mentality of personal and professional growth. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere. Use this as a stepping stone to create some new goals and start the new year off strong. You got this!

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