Focusing on career in times of change
How can we be successful in our goals right now?
- Written by Orla Ni Bhriain
We’ve all had a lot more time than usual to consider our life trajectories over the past few months. For a lot of us, our professional aspirations are what keep us going through the motions every week. It’s likely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic that you’ve had time to mull over your current situation, where you’re headed professionally, or where you might like to go, a lot more than you might like. According to a survey by Totaljobs the current global pandemic has ‘led to UK workers re-assessing their career plans, with 70% of UK workers now more likely to consider working in a different sector’[1]. Total jobs say ‘those considering a career change by working in a different industry are driven by a desire to learn new skills or challenge themselves (51%), gain a better work-life balance (43%) or have increased job security (32%)’ [2].
We are incredibly lucky to have an abundance of material readily available at our fingertips with career and life success in mind. Career success; however, ties in with multiple other facets that contribute to our overall wellbeing, there’s no point in achieving your goals if you haven’t found a sense of balance and continuity with other aspects of your life including your physical health, emotional wellbeing and social life. We’ve decided to have a look at some proven ways you can go about making small changes to achieve your career ambitions.
The SMART Model
SMART is a principle that has been used worldwide as an effective model for achieving career goals. The technique is believed to originate from a book published in 1954 by Peter Druker called ‘Management by Objective’ [3]. Mind Tools say using the acronym SMART entails applying the following criteria when you are looking to set your goals [4]:
1: Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
2: Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
3: Achievable (agreed, attainable).
4: Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
5: Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
Those who use the strategy suggest starting basic, with very simple and clear goals, to make it easier to focus on your desired outcome. Making measurable goals allows you to monitor your progress as you go along. Your goals are supposed to be achievable, so set your sights on something realistic to start with. When it comes to relevancy, make sure that your desired outcome is something that will actually drive you to make the change needed to achieve it. Finally, in terms of the time frame, make sure you have a clear end-date in mind by which you should hope to have achieved your outcome, this bit gives you the incentive to push ahead with what you have chosen.
Once your goals have been set, staying focused can often be the hardest part, particularly if you’ve had a recent set-back or are currently stuck in a rut. Sherridan Hughes is a Career Consultant based in London, with 31 years experience, she is regularly featured across media outlets in the UK. When it comes to staying focused, Hughes says, “ To develop a career, you need to understand yourself. Write lists showing what you understand about your motivation, ability and personality (do not be too negative!),”
She also says that ‘‘career ’actually means ‘journey’ (think ‘careering along’). It is important to have a final destination in mind, but it is also necessary to recognise that there may be several possible routes to that destination, and some may be quite scenic!.” Hughes also stresses the importance of remembering where you were originally headed,
“it is also important to be prepared to adapt and be creative in the light of obstacles or changes in mind-set. The key to focus is actually constant re-evaluation.”
See opportunity in times of difficulty
If you’ve been watching the news, you’ll likely have seen the vast numbers of redundancies being implemented across the UK. If you’re finding yourself in that position currently, Sherridan Hughes sees opportunity in times of difficulty, she says ‘redundancy can be a blessing in disguise! Rather than automatically trying to find a position doing what you were doing previously, undertake the re-evaluation process. Perhaps, use redundancy payouts for training courses.’ Hughes' first suggestion for those who’ve lost their work is to examine their CV, she says ‘Updating one’s CV is also a good starting point for reminding oneself about achievements and skills.’
See opportunity in times of difficulty
If you’ve been watching the news, you’ll likely have seen the vast numbers of redundancies being implemented across the UK. If you’re finding yourself in that position currently, Sherridan Hughes sees opportunity in times of difficulty, she says ‘redundancy can be a blessing in disguise! Rather than automatically trying to find a position doing what you were doing previously, undertake the re-evaluation process. Perhaps, use redundancy payouts for training courses.’ Hughes' first suggestion for those who’ve lost their work is to examine their CV, she says ‘Updating one’s CV is also a good starting point for reminding oneself about achievements and skills.’
Finally, the most important thing of all is to be kind to yourself. Meditation is an extremely valuable tool when it comes to alleviating stress and keeping your mind clear.
Gabrielle Bernstein is a New York Times bestseller who focuses on the power of positive thinking, and offers free guided meditations on her website, you can access them here.
Sherridan Hughes says ‘The Covid lockdown has made many people appreciate how important life-work balance is; many may be re-evaluating how they work, and the importance of home and family life. I believe that, in this digital age, one has to actively monitor the extent to which work is encroaching on personal life and one has to switch off (literally). It is important to include social life, hobbies, exercise and fun/humour. Do not take life too seriously, enjoy it!’.
And, lastly, if you’re in need of a supplement to boost your brain power, Truth Origins have developed FOCUS, a mix of liquid Omegas, combined with B12 and Zinc. The product, which is a potent blend of Omegas 3,5,6,7, and 9, is the ultimate brain food to help you stay motivated and healthy all at once. You can find it here.
We hope this can assist you in planning your goals for ultimate success. It is important to also remember that not every goal will be completed and that's okay too! We wish you luck in all of your career ambitions❤️
Any topics you would like to hear more on?
Email talk@truthorigins.co.uk
References
[1] Https://www.totaljobs.com/media-centre/changing-course-7-in-10-people-more-likely-to-consider-working-in-a-different-industry-in-light-of-covid-19
[2] https://www.totaljobs.com/media-centre/changing-course-7-in-10-people-more-likely-to-consider-working-in-a-different-industry-in-light-of-covid-19
[3] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_94.htm
[4] https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2013/12/goal-setting-strategies-scientific-and-career-success
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