Imagine you’re planning a road trip, what’s the first thing you do?

Unless you’re wildly spontaneous, you probably don’t just hop in the car and drive off into the sunset with no specific end location — you’re probably going to choose a destination first, and then work backward.

The same concept applies to your career path. 

Most of us are familiar with the concept of setting lifestyle goals, such as those surrounding health, relationships, fitness or finances, but what about setting personal goals for work?

It’s a lot easier to achieve your professional goals when you know specifically what goals you want to achieve, as well as create clear steps to help you move forward. That’s why setting work goals are important — they give you direction and help you reach your end destination.

That’s why in this article, we’re going to go over the top five work goals to set in the New Year that will help you achieve both personal and professional success.

What are personal goals for work?

Work goals are professional objectives you set and work to achieve in your career. 

Personal developmental goals for work, when clearly set, can help you improve not only your work experience and income but your overall life. It’s important to have a combination of small and big goals, as well as short- and long-term goals, in order to best propel you forward.

By setting a variety of goals, you’re able to hold onto your long-term career vision while working on the smaller, more short-term goals that are more quickly and easily completed.

Why are development goals for work important?

Whether you’re seeking career advancement in your current place of employment, want something to shift or improve in an existing role or are considering changing careers altogether, setting goals in your career is a powerful aid in professional growth.

Some of the benefits of setting work goals include:

• A clearer sense of direction
• Improved motivation and work ethic
• Greater sense of confidence and self-esteem
• Healthier workplace relationships
• Increased focus and productivity

It can be easy to set vague intentions and mistake them for actionable goals (then wonder why your goals aren’t “working”), which is why we’re going to give you some concrete examples.

Goals for work examples

1. Improve time management

Time management is an invaluable skill both in and out of the workplace. Facing distractions and deadlines are inevitable, and as your career advances and/or your workload increases, it may start to feel as if it’s impossible to manage all of your responsibilities. It’s not.

There’s a pretty good chance that with a little bit of time management, you’ll relieve yourself of a significant amount of stress and anxiety, as well as be more productive and efficient.

2. Take a course or program to sharpen your skills

Have you ever bought a course where you didn’t complete the material, or never even started? This can be the year you take your education, skills and experience to the next level by committing to follow through.

Some employers offer courses, programs or bootcamps that are free when taken advantage of through the company, but if not, you can always seek out your own education.

3. Develop a growth mindset

Whether you’re reading this article because you want a promotion, a raise, to work in a different specialization or a different industry altogether, at the core of all of these is the desire for change. Change is often challenging and uncomfortable because it lies outside of our comfort zone — but nothing changes if nothing changes.

By developing a growth mindset, you’ll learn how to collaborate better, communicate more efficiently, channel a stronger work ethic and more “easily” achieve your goals.

4. Improve your work-life balance

It’s no secret that Americans have a tendency to be workaholics. Work-induced burnout is a leading cause of mental health conditions, and physical ailments as well as a contributor to dysfunction in homes and relationships. Work isn’t everything, but we often treat it as such.

By prioritizing balance in the new year and striving for a healthy work-life balance, you’ll not only improve your work experience but also your overall personal life experience.

5. Network more often and with more people

People work with people they know, like and trust, whether through a seller/buyer relationship or a partnership. Networking is still one of the most efficient ways to connect with peers, learn from industry experts and strengthen your own knowledge, experience and reputation.

If you’re ready to advance your career to the next level but aren’t quite sure where to begin, or are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of starting, we’re here to help.

Start achieving your work goals today

Mazzitti & Sullivan EAP is a premier employee assistance program that specializes in equipping employees in various industries and at all levels, with the tools they need to achieve their goals.

Your success is not only our top priority, it’s our passion. Through counseling and coaching sessions, access to valuable resources and the ability to connect with a like-minded community, you’ll be achieving your career goals in no time.

Send a confidential message to our admissions team today to get started.