It's the beginning of a new year, and, for many professionals, that means making career resolutions. Unfortunately, as earnest as some people may be when it comes to reaching goals they've set, their resolutions aren't as motivating as they were intended to be and are soon forgotten. If this has happened to you, it may be because you're making the wrong resolutions, thus setting yourself up for failure before you even get started. Following are a few examples of resolutions you'll want to avoid this year:
Bad Resolution No. 1: "I resolve to do better work."
Although this is a noble goal, the problem with this resolution is that it's much too vague. Doing better work can mean many different things, from enhancing your industry expertise to improving your time management skills to putting more energy into your assignments. This type of uncertainty can prevent you from making any real progress. That's why it's best to set measurable objectives. For instance, "I resolve to read one industry publication per week" or, "Before turning in my work, I will review it thoroughly so I don't let any errors slip through."
Bad Resolution No. 2: "I resolve to earn a raise."
This is a resolution many people can relate to; after all, most professionals have probably wished for higher pay at some point in their careers. Unfortunately, you don't always have control over the outcome of this objective. In addition, during a down economy, a raise may even be an unrealistic expectation, depending on how your company is doing financially. It's better to set goals you can control. For example, you might resolve to take a class in order to learn a software program that you plan to use more frequently at work. In this case, you are the only person who has a say in the final outcome, making it more likely that you'll reach your goal. Plus, the more training you complete to improve your skill set, the better the case you can make for earning more money.
Bad Resolution No. 3: "I resolve to do X and Y and Z and ..."
This is like visiting a buffet and filling your plate to the brim. You're hungry and think you'll be able to eat everything, at least initially. But it's more than likely you won't touch a good portion of the food you grabbed. By setting a lot of goals, you can spread yourself too thin and have trouble accomplishing all of your objectives. The key is to choose one or two resolutions and focus on those alone. With fewer ancillary targets to distract you, you'll have a better chance of accomplishing your objectives. Once you reach those goals, you can select new ones.
Bad Resolution No. 4: "I resolve to land the corner office."
Depending on what position you currently hold, you may be setting your sights too high. Yes, you want to make resolutions that challenge you to stretch your abilities, but you also want to pursue objectives that you can realistically accomplish. A more appropriate target is to work with your manager and establish a plan for your career progression. While you might not take over his or her job -- or even earn a promotion -- in the year ahead, you'll take steps to move your career forward.
Bad Resolution No. 5: "I resolve to bring my lunch to work to save money."
This is an excellent personal resolution, but career resolutions should focus on your job growth. Ideally, they should be goals that will allow you to eventually take on new assignments, tackle new challenges and improve your marketability.
Finally, once you decide on a resolution, it's important to set a deadline for accomplishing the goal. Having a specific time frame in mind will help you narrow your focus and give you additional motivation to achieve your objective. Whether your deadline is a week, month or a year away, maintain a "status report" so you can continually see how you're progressing and determine if you need to revise the target date or the goal itself. By making the right career resolutions and keeping them top of mind, you'll improve your chances of accomplishing them and moving forward professionally as a result.
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