Seven Simple Steps When It Comes to Setting Realistic Goals.

The things we think and say to ourselves have the greatest power to extend (or limit) our individual goals and expectations. When it comes to goal setting, what matters is positive thinking and that a goal is attainable and realistic from your perspective. Here are some great guidelines to help ensure that your professional goals are strategic and supported by realistic tactics that will help you achieve success.

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1. Assess how each goal fits into your overall career/life plan: Before setting a goal, you should first be clear about your overall professional plan. Simply knowing that you want to work for yourself in two years can be huge in helping you determine if an idea is “goal worthy.” Spend time and effort on goals that are stepping-stones to the place you ultimately want to be.

2. Change your thoughts: The most difficult part of my job as a career counselor is helping others to change how they think -and what they believe- about themselves. I often meet clients when they have just been or are about to be laid off; or when they are so depressed about their current situation that it actually prevents and limits their future possibilities. One of the first things I ask of new clients is to identify three habits that they need to “break” in order to erase negative energy and create more positive thinking. For some people it’s not sharing their plans for change (at least right away) with pessimistic, naysayer friends and family members. For others, it’s making a conscious choice to avoid making “rushed” decisions out of desperation and fear.

3. Be practical about how long change may take: You have to be realistic about not only what you want to do, but also about how long it will take for you to do it. This includes small things like the time it actually takes to write a new cover letter and update your resume, to the response time of potential employers who will review them. Remember, it probably took you years to get to this “place” that you don’t want to be anymore; and therefore it will most likely take several weeks if not months to get you out of it.

4. Maximize your marketable skills: One of the biggest mistakes people make in career transition is refusing to do the easiest and most practical thing that enables them to pays the bills and save money for their new career path or venture. You may say, “I hate (fill-in-the-blank) and I don’t want to ever do it again.” However, if you have spent the last five years helping your family launch three new restaurants – managing every detail from the scouting the locations to hiring staff to planning promotional efforts- then that’s what you should keep doing while you flush out your plan to pursue your dream job. It really doesn’t matter that restaurant consulting is not what you went to school for or what you want to do long-term. Use the most marketable experience you have (as an employee or consultant) for next six months to a year, to get both the money and flexibility to create a smoother transition into what you really want to do.

5. Have a darn good back up plan: Change is never smooth and it often involves two steps forward and one step back. For every goal you create, you should also develop a back-up plan simultaneously. Having your “Plan B” already in place will keep you on track and one step ahead when, not if, things don’t go as planned. Be specific. For example, know exactly what you need to start doing four weeks before unemployment runs out and you haven’t found another job; or have the specific dates of when companies will start accepting seasonal or holiday staff applications in order to fill the hole in left in your pocket by your part-time job.

6. Don’t let history repeat itself: We all are creatures of habit and tend to approach and do things the same way, even when trying to create change. In order to prevent making the same mistakes, take time to identify and examine the big things in your personal or professional life that did not go as planned. Don’t think of it as a failure, rather some huge life lessons you’d prefer not to repeat again. Then develop a 7-point plan that addresses what you could have done differently and ways to prevent you from doing the same or similar things.

7. Find an accountability partner: Setting a major goal is one thing, meeting every milestone that will lead you to accomplish that goal is another. Develop a detailed list of the key milestones for every goal, including target deadlines for each milestone. Give a copy to a friend and ask that they call or email you a week before each deadline to request a written status update. Sometimes simply knowing that you have to report another person gives you the extra motivation to push a little bit harder and get things done.

This week, examine three things that you “say” to yourself and make those thoughts more positive. Once armed with an enhanced level of positive thinking, try one of these seven suggestions to create a new professional goal that you can successfully accomplish.