Simple Specific Steps Career Growth Goals

What if you were able to continually develop and grow your knowledge and skills in your career each and every month?  Statistics indicate that the average job duration is approximately 3 years which means that the average person could have as many as 12-15 jobs in a lifetime.  Therefore, continually seeking and exploring enhanced occupational opportunities and knowledge is important and empowering.  Career growth goals are the fourth step in the SPECIFIC goal setting method (S=Spiritual, P=Personal, E=Emotional, C=Career Growth, I=Interaction, F=Fun, I=Increase Wealth, C=Cleaning up Chaos & Stuff).

Career growth includes becoming more skilled and knowledgeable in your identified occupation.  This includes a focus in doing what you are good at as well as doing what energizes you.  So, ask yourself the question, what do I want to achieve or learn today to evolve personally and professionally?

 

Some examples of career growth goal activities are as follows:

·         Attend Excel training and learn to build spreadsheets

·         Learn to write articles by researching article writing tips

·         Attend a conference on leadership skills

·         Learn Quick Books

·         Job shadow an executive for one week to assess necessary competencies to attain the job

·         Apply for an on line doctoral program in business administration

After reviewing the above, take out a piece of paper or go to your computer and record three (3) career growth goals that you desire to achieve this month.  

One of the benefits of career growth goal setting is the attainment of new knowledge and opportunities.  So, go tackle your aspirations and live big dreams, one day at a time.    

Simple Specific Steps Spiritual Goals

Why should we have clear spiritual goals? The answer is that spiritual goals are first in the SPECIFIC goal setting method because they are the foundation of each and every goal we set in all of the other areas. (S=Spiritual, P=Personal, E=Emotional, C=Career Growth, I=Interaction, F=Fun, I=Increase Wealth, C=Clean Up Chaos and Stuff).

So what are some of your spiritual goals? You can begin to identify these goals by asking yourself the following questions:


• Where am I spiritually and how do I want to grow?

• What do I believe about my eternal purpose, and where I am in relation to that purpose?

• Do I spend time in prayer and quiet moments and contemplation?

• Do I read scripture on a daily basis?

• Do I attend church and have a church home?

• Do I engage in community service in my church?

• Am I offering my God given talents and gifts to my church or other organizations?

• Am I helping others?

• Do I have confidence that my desires and dreams are divinely inspired?

Writing our goals down makes them real, and we can refer to them frequently to assess where we are.
 After reviewing the above questions, take out a piece of paper or go to your computer and record three spiritual goals that you desire to achieve this month. Try to be specific as you record your goals.

Setting spiritual goals is the first step in the SPECIFIC goal setting process. Moreover, setting spiritual goals will help you to attain greater life fulfillment, purpose and meaning. So, go tackle your spiritual goals and live big dreams, one day at a time.

What is Your Purpose?

Goals are there to identify the actions you take to fulfill your purpose, not to be your purpose. Purpose is the driving force behind you setting the goals you want to achieve. Goals are merely a reflection of your overall purpose.

Perhaps some of you read this blog because you are you feeling confused, depressed, even hopeless about your direction. And, others may be brimming with enthusiasm yet seeking a system to record and live out positive changes you desire to make. However, some may be curious as to how knowing your life purpose could make any difference?

What you need to know is that your life purpose is about knowing who you are and what energizes you. Also, it is about realizing your natural talents as well as the contribution that is made to the world when you are utilizing your gifts. Your purpose gives you a new framework of value that begins to shape every action, decision, choice and moment of your life...especially when the flow of situations try to throw you off course. So, whether you are experience a crisis, elation moment, or you are faced with a transformational opportunity, it is important to stop and self reflect to identify your purpose. ALL goal setting revolves around your core purpose.
 
To identify this purpose, it is important to explore four primary questions:


1. What are your ASSETS/STRENTGHS (they energize you)?

2. What are your EXCITEMENTS and ENTHUSIASMS (they energize you)?

3. What do you REQUIRE TO BE STIMULATED?

4. What is your PRIMARY LIFE ASSIGNMENT?

For every new opportunity that comes along, I now ask myself how it aligns with my purpose. Regardless of how much money I could acquire, if the activity does not align with my primary life  assignment which is the core of my personal mission statement, then I do not pursue it. Here is my primary life assignment:

• “To stimulate, orchestrate, and implement initiatives that transform people, organizations and communities while in the process brings intrinsic value fiscally and personally “.


How do you discover your real purpose in life? I’m not talking about your job, your daily responsibilities, or even your long-term goals. I mean the real reason why you’re here at all — the very reason you exist.

Next, we will discuss the first area of the SPECIFIC goal setting process

Keep Your Goals Simple!

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What would happen if we were to simplify our goals to support a higher probability of turning them into action?  What is it that keeps us from acting

We live in a world that is ruled by information. Our lives are inundated with information. We read the newspaper in the morning, go to school or to work, check in with Facebook and My Space friends, check our email every hour, receive, read, design and send text messages throughout the day. We read billboards on the highway while driving home. We watch the news on television, open our mail, surf the internet, read blogs, research discounts, play video games, play tennis or golf, take care of our volunteer tasks, get tasks and chores accomplished at home, oh yea, and then we cook or study and the list goes on. Our minds become so full of information that the words become racket. We feel tired and depleted from the constant demand on our attention; at work, at home, on weekends. So, we take on more and more obligation which typically results in a loss of focus. Then, we feel guilty when we say no.

More is not less. Less is more. Clarity is more. Focus is more.  Personally, when I am inundated with too much information, my mind shuts down. It is understandable that Attention Deficit Disorder has become so prominent in our society. Therefore, it becomes vital to begin to simplify our lives by keeping things uncomplicated.

The ability to simplify any concept is an incredibly valuable skill in this information wealthy society. Not only is conciseness an essential skill in business, but in any and all communication. Have you ever noticed how people that are concise, too the point, and focused in their activities and communication seem really happy and relaxed? Focus demonstrates clarity of thought. It allows you to communicate information and ideas to be easily absorbed and comprehended. 
 
Here are some simple steps to think about as you begin setting your goals to achieve your dreams. 
1.  Keep it simple.  If you have 10 goals identified, reduce them to 2 or 3.  You will feel a sense of    accomplishment when you tackle those goals.
2.  Focus on the vital few.  Identify what you want to achieve 5 years from now and make sure your goals align with those aspirations.
3.  Say "No" more often.  Try saying no more often and delegate some of the tasks that keep you from achieving your primary purpose and goals that support your primary purpose.
4.   Prioritize.  When you have made a list of your goals, make sure that you focus on a limited number and then prioritize them in the order of importance.
 
So, begin to simplify your goals and create the life you desire!  Next post we will focus on steps to help you identify your life purpose.  Once your purpose is identified, you can set your SPECIFIC goals to support that purpose.