• Be Flexible With Your Goals

You must be flexible with your goals. There are no straight paths to where you would like to go. The probability that you are going to come across obstacles along the way is very high, especially when you are almost reaching your goal. In these circumstances simply adjust your sails to reflect your new situation and continue moving towards achieving your goals.

• Write Your Goals Down

The act of writing down your goals gives them real meaning and tangibility. Words are powerful and once spoken cannot be taken back. Use action-oriented words like “I will” instead of wishful words like “I would”. The powerful statement “I will” contains the power and commitment you need to achieve your goals in the long run. Once written down, post your goals somewhere visible so you will be constantly reminded of where you want to go.

• Make an action plan

Write down every step you will need to take in order to reach your final destination. Break your goals down into steps and smaller goals. Milestones are important to keep you motivated and on track.

• Stay on your path

Goal setting is not for the faint-hearted. Set strategies to help you check on the progress you are making every week, month, quarter and year. The goal has to remain important and valid to where you would like to go.

Smart goal setting can be used in all walks of life from your career to your personal life. It’s an effective way to move forward with your life and achieve the things you want to achieve. We have goals of what we want and where we want to be but when we don’t put those goals into action we are less likely to achieve them. So grab your pen and paper and start writing.

Set up a 30 min Skype meeting with your career advisor for feedback on setting SMART goals to move your career forward.

Conclusion

This course has been written with the objective to help you reflect on your career journey whether you are new or already on the way. With each session, there was a practical exercise to help you get one step closer to your career discovery. We covered topics such as career assessment, the importance of reflection, your personality, your individual strengths, industry choice, and goal setting.

At the end of this course, you should have a clear understanding of who you are and what you should actually be doing based on your strengths, passion, values, and personality.