Setting career goals can help guide you toward a more fulfilling and balanced life. Annette Richmond, author of "Stop Dreaming, Start Doing," a guide to goal setting, suggests the "SMART" system. SMART is an acronym that means, for best results, goals ought to be "specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely."
Make Goals Specific
The first part of the "SMART" system for career goal setting is that the goal must be specific, according to Richmond. Specifics help you accomplish goals more readily. For example, "I want to increase my productivity," is a common goal, but the catch is that "productivity" is hard to measure. "I want to produce seven reports, instead of five, by November first," is better because it is more specific.
Measure Goals
Goals should be measurable. If your goal is to put in longer hours, it is easier to think about this in terms of weeks, rather than years. Your goal could be: "I want to come into the office early every day this week." At the end of the week, count how many days you were early, then set a new goal, according to your progress.
Set Achievable Goals
Goals must be achievable, according to Richmond. Take a large goal and break it into several small goals. For instance, if your goal is to tackle a major project in the next year, write a series goals for the steps instead. Check one step off at a time to keep you organized and on track.
Be Realistic
Career goals must fit into your life in a realistic way. To set appropriate goals, you may have to examine what is most important and whether you can put in the time and effort it takes to achieve your goal. Not all goals are realistic. For example, if you are a single parent finding it difficult to hire reliable child care for your kids, a goal of putting in an extra two hours at work every day may not be realistic. One hour might be realistic instead.
The Importance of Time
Write down your long-term, and short-term objectives. Include monthly, weekly and daily targets that will move you toward larger goals, Richmond suggests. Each goal should have deadline. "Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started," Richmond says.
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