2018 could be the year that big things happen in your career. But, as is often the case, the big things are unlikely to fall into your lap. You have to plan and execute a strategy to take charge of your career and get the best out of it. There’s no time like the present, so here’s a look at five ways you can make a great impact on your career in the next 12 months:

1. Set Small Goals Every Day :

You should get into the habit of setting small goals for you to achieve every day, in order to keep yourself motivated and looking forward, rather than becoming stale and directionless. These goals can be simple, such as doing an hour of reading before work or going to the gym three times a week (an active body equals an active mind). From a work standpoint, setting a goal of speaking with your clients on the phone at least once a week would be a good place to start, or spending an hour a week on your personal career development plan.

2. Take Steps to Improve Your Productivity :

Before you get to work, try to wake up a little earlier and do a bit of reading – industry news, blogs/articles, etc. – and see if you can mix up your trips to work. Drive sometimes, take public transport on others. The latter will give you an opportunity to prep before the working day, by reading your emails and getting your calendar set for the day.

Once you get to work, concentrate on prioritizing your tasks and organizing your work calendar so that you know exactly what you have to do for that workday. This will keep you productive and give you targets and could potentially free up some time for you later in the week to focus on your career development.

3. Look into Becoming a Coach or Mentor :

Staff training isn’t something that is only for management. Employees who want to improve their skill set and have ambitions beyond their current role and look into developing coaching skills or become a mentor to an apprentice or new starter. Not only will you be taking a load off your manager’s plate, but you will be seen to be taking charge of your career and taking on extra responsibilities that will aid you significantly in the future. It also helps that coaching is incredibly rewarding. What can be better than seeing somebody else develop and learn on the back of your help and support?

4. Create a Development Plan with Your Boss :

Many employees will only ever really have contact with their managers when they need answers to something, or they are handing in some completed work. This is a bad habit that should be broken immediately. You should be able to talk to your boss about your development and put a plan together in order for you to reach the goals that you have for yourself. If you don’t mention anything, the only way your boss will know your ambitions is when you have an annual performance review, and 12 months will have passed by then.

5. Change the Way Your Approach Your Industry :

Everybody gets complacent in their job from time to time. It’s inevitable, and sometimes it’s because we get into a set routine of doing the same thing day in and day out, and we don’t adopt the way we approach the industry. Think about some of the ways that you can approach your career differently. For example, could you do more industry reading, or attend more speaking events. By taking yourself out of your comfort zone, you might just find that your passion for your career becomes rejuvenated.

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