Perhaps you are tired of the cliché “new year new me” when nothing changes every year. Here we are again, with yet another year. Deep down, you know you want things to be different; you want to achieve your goals in your career. The good news is that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.
When setting career goals, it is essential to know which areas need improvement. Perhaps this is what is stopping you from seeing results at the end of the day. Reflecting in this way will help you identify how you can improve in your workplace.
There is always room for improvement. But actually improving can be difficult at times. Here are the top three questions to ask yourself so you can improve your work.
What Am I Good At?
Well, this should be quite an easy question to answer. Of course, you know which areas of your career you excel in and which skills differentiate you from the rest of your colleagues. Maybe it’s leadership, or organization, or management skills.
Come up with a list of all your strong points and maybe ask your colleagues or boss whether they agree with you. If this is not the best time to approach your boss, you can even ask your family members or close friends for their opinions. The idea is if you are setting goals, then focus on areas that you are not so strong in.
Where Should I Improve?
When thinking about where you should improve, you will need to be as real with yourself as possible. Are you lazy with your career? Are you always late on projects? Do you tend to be unorganized? Reflect on your past performances and how your previous projects went. Did you get good reviews? If yes, fair enough. If not, how could you improve?
How can you make yourself better in your weak areas? Though it can be quite challenging to be hard on yourself, if you want to see results, then you have to leave your ego behind. So, take a step back, and review yourself.
How Do I Achieve My Goals?
Now that you have identified the areas you need to improve, what areas are you going to prioritize them? Perhaps some require you to take a short course, training, or a certification. If that is the case, take the necessary actions to improve your career.
After this, set deadlines for yourself and continuously check how you are doing. Whether you settle on a weekly or monthly review, be consistent, and always be disciplined. This is the only way you will see results in your career.
It is important that you hold yourself accountable. However, if you don’t think you will be able to, ask a family member or friend to help you.
Bottom Line
Asking yourself these three essential questions will ensure you figure out where you stand and which areas need improvement. Hopefully, this will help you get on the right track to advance your career.