Season’s greetings and Happy Holidays! With that comes the time to review the past year and set your resolutions and goals for the year to come.
Each year I re-publish my Year in Review Goal Planning workbook to help you review your past year’s successes, regret, disappointments and accomplishments. And, to plan the year to come.
My suggestion right now is to take some time to first review your past year using my year in review planning workbook and reflect on those things before diving into your resolutions and goals for the year to come.
It’s always a great practice to set goals and you can use the guide and workbook to do it at any time. The workbook can be customized to the current year by adjusting the dates on each slide.
Start by reviewing your high, low points accomplishments and disappointments for the previous year. Then go onto to set your plans and goals for the coming year.
Sometimes we might feel that the reason we do not achieve a goal or objective is because we lack self-discipline. We might have had trouble acting to achieve something worthwhile or we know we should be doing.
A good example is staying committed to a fitness workout program. We know that staying active is good for our health and well-being but we might not have done what is required to stick with the program and reap the benefits.
The same is true for at work projects and goals that are outside our routine and may require time, learning and focus to achieve.
However, the word discipline might bring up negative associations for many people. Just think of what it feels like to discipline a child or an employee. It’s not a very pleasant task for most people and one that many prefer to avoid.
Rather than think of self-discipline, use the term commitment and persistence. Thinking this way can change our perspective for acting on our projects and goals that require energy and time. It’s hard enough to get started and stick with something new. Thinking of having to discipline ourselves to do it might make things even harder.
Motivation
Motivation is a big factor when it comes to commitment and persistence to achieve something worthwhile. So, you might need to ask yourself how important the project or goal is. If you have thought through on the benefits of the project or goal and found them worthwhile enough to make the effort, then commitment and persistence is what you need to develop.
Clear Picture
Sometimes and idea of a project or goal is not enough to keep us committed to the actions required. Creating a clear picture of the outcome and benefits will spur the motivation and drive to persist, even when uncertainty kicks in.
Write a Goal
Writing your project or goal down and planning what you need to do will help create the clear picture of the outcome you want. It will also help you decide on the actions to take. You can use my goal planning form to write down your project or goal and make a detailed plan. Using the section on obstacles and solutions is a great way to determine the actions required.
Small Steps
If you find yourself stalling on the action required, break the action steps down further. Make it as easy as you can for yourself. Making small gains and recognizing and celebrating your progress will build your muscle of persistence.
Commit
On the second page of my goal planning form I ask a few questions. This is after you have gone through the process of writing down the goal, the benefits, obstacles and solutions. The key questions are, “is it worth making the effort to achieve this goal and am I willing to do the actions required to achieve it?” This is where you get very honest with yourself and decide to do it or not. From that point the only thing left is to commit and persist.
Landing your ideal dream job can be a challenge and even a lifetime project. First you must know what your dream job looks and feels like. Yes, it does take some reflection.
An ideal dream job might be something that you don’t have right now and it could be a job you outgrow after a while.
In this article, I am not going to talk about how to figure out what your ideal dream job is or how to write the best resume. There are tons of searchable information about that online already.
Once you are quite clear on what you are looking for and the type of company you want to work for I suggest the following to get attention and stand out.
Cover letter for your Dream Job
Writing a great cover letter shows that you want the job and are willing to do what many people are not.
Research well about the company and the people who work there. What are there projects and plans? Who are there customers?
Make the letter very specific to the job. Explain how your skills, experience and interests coincide with the job and the company.
Express what you can contribute to the company and its goals and objectives. Use your research to make it specific.
Too many people write generic cover letters that every recruiter sees through and puts aside.
Personal contacts to land your Dream Job
Business is about who you know and trust. Hiring is a business decision. Every manager is responsible for results in their department and the new staff member is employed to contribute to those results.
Do everything you can to connect with the hiring manager or HR person that is part of the employment decision. Call them by phone, connect over Linkedin, email and whatever way you can. Make it personal.
The fact is that over 40% of hiring is done through word of mouth. Who do you know that knows someone that works where you want to. Use your contacts to help you make a connection.
Summary
Using a well-crafted cover letter will begin the process to differentiate yourself.
Often several well qualified people are applying for the same job. It’s important to speak to the hiring manager or team member to express your passion for what you do and make an impression.
Landing your ideal dream job takes work but so does everything worth attaining that is ideal for you.
Employers
Employers wishing to attract people seeking their dream job need to re-think how they market themselves as an employer of choice. It’s not just about marketing but more about becoming a sought-after employer. Think about what that would mean for your organization.
Download the workbook from my website or from Elqouens and get started on creating your best year yet.
