Springtime is the perfect season to clean, refresh, and organize your space. But spring cleaning does not only apply to your home; it is a great opportunity to get a fresh start on your work life and reassess career goals. Here are tips to reevaluate your professional life and meet your career goals.
Reevaluate Your Work Values
Your values define who you are as a worker. They influence every corner of your career: from the colleagues you keep, to the company culture you build, to your relationship with your clients. It is critical to look back at previous career goals and reflect on whether those needs are being met, or should be refreshed.
- Are things going as you had hoped?
- What were important values you held one year ago? Do they still apply?
- Are you happy in your workplace?
- Do your company’s values still align with yours?
These are just a few important questions to ask to understand if it is time for a change. They illuminate the areas in your work life that might have been neglected and require some attention.
Establish New Goals
In accordance with updating your values, you must develop new professional goals in order to grow. Choose two or three attainable goals that you can work towards and achieve by the end of the year to feel more fulfilled and advance your career. Goals such as working on your communication or creative skills will help revitalize motivation and excitement about your future. See my guide to fostering positive communication for more ideas. Another note: Be wary of losing perspective. Do not compare yourself to others when establishing your new goals. Choose goals that are in perfect alignment your work values – don’t worry about anyone else.
Reflect on Past Accomplishments and Look Forward
As you develop new goals, spend time considering past accomplishments to remind yourself of your strengths: perhaps you are especially tenacious, creative, or disciplined. Was there a project that you ran point on? Did your boss congratulate you on an achievement? Look back in order to look forward and understand your ideal next step. Also, keeping track of positive
moments can prove to be helpful when applying to new positions or during performance review season.
Update Your Professional Networking Profiles
It is certainly not the most thrilling step in this process, but it is critical: revamp your resume. Take out any irrelevant work and update your values and accomplishments (like the ones you brainstormed above). While you’re going through your resume, make sure you take a moment to reach out to old references or bosses and keep your connections strong. Pick a few people from your list to email or message on LinkedIn to check in and keep in touch. Also, look for new groups to join or symposiums to attend to in order to keep your network growing.
Refresh Your Space
Lastly, physical clutter and disorganization can negatively impact your productivity and motivation. Cleaning your desk, organizing files and sorting through your inbox can help you feel refreshed and inspired. Maybe even revamp your wardrobe or add a plant to your workspace. Be proud of the new you, and let your physical space reflect your pride.
Reach out to me if you have any questions or need help rebuilding your professional life.
