Time for your 60-day checkup

With January and February officially behind us, it’s time for your 60-day checkup. Are you upholding your New Year’s Resolution? Have you started it? Did you utter the word “no” under your breath just now? That’s ok! It’s not too late to get back on track.

Resolutions have a horrible reputation for being broken— but your career goals should never be compromised. Here are 5 key steps that will help you accomplish your goals before you know it:

Be Specific

A common dilemma that we face is making our resolutions too vague. For example, saying “I want to network more” is simply too broad since there isn’t a way to measure your success rate. Instead you could say, “I would like to add 100 people to my LinkedIn profile” or “I would like to attend 2 networking events a month”. Not only are these specific goals, they are measurable as well.

Set manageable/ monthly goals

Once you set specific goals, you need to determine how manageable they will be. Setting your sights high is great, but doing so can leave you questioning where to begin. If you find yourself in this position, you may want to break your goals down into smaller objectives. This helps you create a game plan and a timeline, which will help you reach success.

Consider adding 100 people to your LinkedIn network—that would be extremely overwhelming when tackled all at once. However, when you break that number down and connect with a few people each week, it’s not as intimidating.

Make the time

It’s one thing to say you’ll do something, and it’s another to actually do it. It’s easy enough to push it off until tomorrow or the next day, but next thing you know you’ll be caught in a vicious cycle of continuously postponing your goals. Why is that? We don’t make the time!

If you want to reach your goals, then you have to dedicate the time to work towards them. Allot time on your calendar to work on your resolutions each week and stick to that schedule.

Be accountable

Share your goals—keeping them to yourself won’t do you any good. Your friends and family are a vital resource to you and they shouldn’t be overlooked. They’ll not only help you stick to your schedule, but they will hold you accountable. If you happen to hit a roadblock, they’ll be there to tell you “it’s ok” and help you get back on track. If you crush one of your goals, they’ll be there to celebrate! This support system is exactly what you need to push yourself a little harder, and to hold yourself to a higher standard when it comes to accomplishing your goals.

Be patient

It’s a resolution for a reason. You won’t accomplish your goals overnight, but that doesn’t mean you won’t make progress every day. Focus on tackling one objective at a time, and stay positive. Be patient—good things take time, and they will be well worth the wait.

Are you looking for your next accounting or finance role? We are here to help! Contact on of our expert recruiters to help you in your job search- find the closest CFS location to you here.