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If life’s challenges taught us anything here at Accelerating Careers is that you should take time to enjoy life. One of the ways we know that will help you enjoy life is to get more vacation time allowing you to relax and recharge. Why This Matters You work very hard your entire adult life; then what? You get to 62 and then start to “enjoy retirement” when your body has begun to fail you. Or do you work very hard only to come down with a disease caused by a sedentary lifestyle of sitting at a computer or from massive stress? Hard work is important, but you need to find ways to enjoy life along the way and one of those ways is to have more time away from the office. Stacking PTO And Holidays One very simple technique is to stack paid time off with company holidays. Look at your company holiday schedule and then pair paid time off days around long weekends or national holidays like Thanksgiving, July 4th, Christmas, or New Years Eve. If you stack vacations around Christmas and New Years Eve you get a few company holidays off and a weekend or two, in most years, multiplying the effects of your paid time off. This is especially helpful if you like to travel internationally where you will need more time to get to and from your destination. 💡 Pro Tip: Don’t use a vacation day the day before a national holiday. In almost every corporate setting everyone has already left the office by noon the day before a holiday or most likely is not even working. You can get the benefit of the vacation day and still “work” by responding to emails. If nothing else, it is a good time to get stuff done since it will be quiet. Take A Vacation Between Jobs If you are moving from one company to another use this as an opportunity to take an extended vacation. Give yourself two or three weeks between companies. Many recruiters and hiring managers are incentivized to get you to come into your next role as soon as possible. Don’t let them bully you into starting before you want to start. During the interview process many times someone will ask “when can you start,” but then take weeks to complete the interview process. Make sure you tell them you are willing to start when you have completed your obligations in your current role and that will be determined based on when you get an offer. You’re not lying as long as you remember that you also have an obligation to yourself as part of your current role. 💡 Pro Tip: For those moving roles within the company, if your current manager isn’t too worried about what you are doing before you move to a new role in your current company then you can use the last few days in your current role as a mini off the books vacation. Keep responding to emails, but your old team will know you are moving on and your new team knows you don’t start until the official start date. Just don’t tell anyone what you are doing. The main point here is to be creative about how to find time between roles to take care of yourself. You will come into the new role fresh and recharged as you will surely be working overtime to get up to speed quickly. The Mini-Retirement While many people do not have the financial flexibility to simply leave a job without another job, the mini-retirement is one of our favorite ways to take care of yourself. First, you should always be saving your money for a rainy day. Second, the money that you spend on a mini-retirement can be used to spend time doing amazing things from traveling to possibly even starting a side hustle. Finally, you will be the envy of your friends, and we know that is valuable too. 💡 Pro Tip: If you are considering a mini-retirement, then go to your current manager and ask if they will give you a package to leave your role or offer you a sabbatical. Many times companies are looking to cut expenses at the end of the fiscal year to meet their targets and will gladly offer you a little money to pay for your next vacation. If you are good at what you do there will always be work. Have confidence in yourself but also have a game plan for how you will get back into the workforce through networking or using headhunters. Conclusion Don’t be one of those people who dies at your desk or as you drive into work. Find ways to enjoy life while you are younger and capable of doing slightly dangerous but fun activities.

There are many ways to accelerate your career. One of those ways should be by helping others. When you help those in need you will make your community a better place and begin to understand the problems and challenges other people are facing. While you will be making the world a better place, volunteering will also help you expand your network, develop new skills, and help you develop as a leader in the workplace. Today there are many resources to help you find the right nonprofit organization. Start with a topic or cause you are passionate about like helping the underprivileged, helping community art centers or museums raise money, supporting people with disease or illness, or organizing volunteers through work or religious organizations. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to find volunteer opportunities. The United Way The United Way’s (volunteer page) goal is to “advance the common good in communities across the world. [Their] focus is on education, income, and health – the building blocks for a good quality life.” We like the United Way because it has a national reach, a variety of volunteering opportunities, and access to heavy hitters to help expand your network. Check out the United Way board of directors in your community and you will see what we mean. Habitat for Humanity “Habitat for Humanity (volunteer page) is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. [They] believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.” We like Habitat for Humanity because it has a global reach with many opportunities to make a significant impact by ensuring those in need have a place to call home. From personal experience we can also say they know how to have a good time after volunteer events. Food Banks Almost every community will have a local food bank that collects food for the elderly and those in need. You can help by working in the warehouses, picking up donations, dropping off food, or helping the office staff in any number of ways. Search for “food bank” in your area and you are sure to find an organization that will gladly take your help. The Junior League For women out there looking to meet other like-minded women the Junior League is “an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.” You can see how to get involved here: Get Involved with the Junior League Museums and Art Centers One overlooked opportunity for giving back to the community is to volunteer at your local museum or community art gallery. Now you may say “Museums?!?! They don’t need my help.” Not true. Remember museums and art centers play an important role in our society by memorializing where we come from and offering an outlet for us to enjoy the beautiful things in life. Also, museum galas tend to be some of the more prestigious events in the nonprofit world and gives you an opportunity to wear amazing outfits. St. Jude Children’s Hospital For those that have a passion for helping children one option is to help raise money (volunteer link) for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, whose goal “is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.” Also, like many of the other organizations they recognize those who volunteer and contribute by throwing one heck of a gala and golf events. Special Olympics If you have a passion for helping the people with disabilities check out the Special Olympics, whose mission is “to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.” You can find out how to get involved with the Special Olympics here: Get Involved with the Special Olympics Big Brother Big Sisters If you have the time for a longer-term commitment, then consider the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Their mission is to “create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.” Use this link to find out how to Get Involved at Big Brothers Big Sisters, but remember this opportunity requires a long-term and consistent commitment. Religious Organizations Your local religious organization or national religious organizations like the Salvation Army do amazing work to help those in need. While this may not be as beneficial from a career networking perspective you are still helping others around you while promoting your religious values as part of creating a strong community. School Organizations Local schools are always in need of help. Maybe you can return to a school you attended as a child or simply find a school in your neighborhood. Either way there are definitely ways to help your community by supporting the needs of the next generation. Work or Alumni Connections Consider looking at opportunities to volunteer through your current company or local university alumni group. Volunteering with these folks can be particularly powerful, as you already have a common connection and these volunteering opportunities can create real amazing networking options you might not otherwise get in your day to day work life. National Volunteer Database If you still are having a hard time finding a good organization for your volunteer efforts, then check out Just Serve which helps connect volunteers and non-profit organizations. 💡 Pro tip: For those living in our Charlotte, NC, community check out ShareCharlotte.Org for a list of local nonprofits that you may be interested in working with. Conclusion First, this is just a sample of some of the opportunities for you to get involved. Feel free to drop us a note here if there are other volunteer organizations our readers should know about. Secondly, find something that you are passionate about and go make a difference. You can do a lot of good with just a little effort while helping to improve your career at the same time. Over time we hope you will find joy in simply helping others in need. Third, take advantage of the post volunteering events like parties, galas, and group gatherings. You will likely meet life-long friends that will make a positive impact on your life. Finally, always take time to take an interest in those you are helping and those you are volunteering with; you never know who you will meet and how they can aid you in your journey.

One of the more overlooked opportunities to accelerate your career is how you present yourself in the workplace. There’s no shortage of websites detailing “how to dress for success at work,” but we want to share a few additional tips that will set you up for success. Remember, the work you do does not define who you are as a person, but there are certain standards we should maintain in the workplace as we seek to accelerate our careers. You can love Metallica and still wear wingtips to work. Mirroring Most definitions of mirroring imply that it is unconscious (see Wikipedia’s post on Mirroring). However, you can be intentional about understanding your environment and use that knowledge to your advantage. When you go into the office, look around and get a sense for what executives or those in leadership roles are wearing, how are they presenting themselves, and how they’re taking notes. They may wear suits or a simple t-shirt. They may use a standard notebook like you used in school or an expensive folio. The key here is to be intentional about understanding your environment and then using it to your advantage. By taking stock of what the leaders and top performers are doing, and mirroring their look and actions, you can begin to apply what you’ve learned to your personal wardrobe, overall appearance, and office paraphernalia like pens, laptop bags, and notebooks. Work Bags You might be tempted to say the bag I use to carry my laptop is just a bag and no one should judge me for what I use to carry my stuff. Let me assure you people notice. A nice laptop bag or work bag can go a long way to saying “I am a professional and I am at the top of my game.” 💡 Pro Tip: For those folks who are new hires and just got a cool backpack with the company logo, leave it at home to use on weekend hikes. Some may say a good Tumi Bag or Tumi Backpack, which are our favorites here at Accelerating Careers Inc., are just too expensive. While they are not the cheapest options, they give the impression that you care about your appearance. Quality products stand the test of time and suggest you have made an investment in your career. If cost is really a problem, then check out the list at the bottom of this article for other affordable options. 💡 Pro Tip: When you are going into the office and bring your food do not use a cooler bag or some “hip” lunchbox your kid would bring to school. Find something like a Lululemon bag that is a but nicer and pop it in the refrigerator at work. Note Taking Tools This may sound like an old person talking, but find yourself a good pen and notebook. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on notebooks or pens to make a positive impression, but don’t use a yellow flip pad, spiral wire notebook, nor the cheapest pens on Amazon. Look at your note taking materials and ask yourself “would I be impressed if I saw someone else using these tools?” Additionally, while times are changing and the younger generation use laptops to take notes in meetings, we can assure you the constant click-clack of the keyboard is a distraction to those around you. Pull out the notebook, write down you notes, and stay classy. 💡 Pro Tip: As an added benefit, writing down notes and transcribing them has been shown to improve recall and memorization of the material. If you’re skeptical, check out the Scientific American article here. Grooming We live in an era where everyone is free to express themselves in all aspects of life. While this is a nice sentiment, the workplace will reward those who embrace some level of professional conformity and penalize those who color outside the lines. · Get a regular haircut, keep a brush or comb at the office, and stay presentable · Avoid the Axe body wash in favor of a high-quality fragrance, but use it sparingly · Whether you use the cleaners or iron your own clothes, make sure your clothes are pressed and crisp every time you walk into the office or get onto a video call · Keep your nails trimmed, have clippers handy, and use them with subtlety at work if necessary 💡 Pro Tip: If you have a habit of biting your nails; STOP. Not only is it bad for you (Mayo Clinic), but those around you will surely see it as unprofessional. A Note On Remote Meetings In the era where more and more meetings are occurring on video conference it is important to note some opportunities to improve your look. Know your industry and make sure you are wearing something that is appropriate yet also slightly more formal than others on the call. This shows you understand your audience but that you are also serious. · If you are meeting with people in a startup or technology company, you can wear a t-shirt or pullover but make it a monochromatic shirt instead of your awesome Spider-Man hoodie. · If you are meeting with people at a bank or professional services company, then wear a button-down shirt, but avoid the plain white and go for a nice checkered blue or light bright colored shirt, or something that compliments your complexion. Be well groomed take a few minutes before the call to brush your hair, check your teeth, and adjust your clothes to make sure they aren’t bunching or baggy in the wrong places. Also, be sure to check your background and make sure there aren’t any leftover wine glasses or toys in sight. Make your background clean and simple to avoid distractions. Conclusion Small things matter when it comes to the perception that others will have about you. Use every trick in the book to help promote your personal brand so that when it comes time for bonuses or promotions you have given yourself the best opportunity for success. A few products to help you improve your look: The Tumi Bag or Tumi Backpack are timeless choices for office bags Nordstrom Rack has great deals on top brand briefcases and laptop bags Amazon Basics Professional Journal is all you need when taking notes Moleskine Classic Notebook is a little nicer option for a notebook The Uni -Ball Signo 207 Gel Penor the Paper Mate 1945925 InkJoy Pen are a great affordable pen that will last through many meetings The FAMILIFE Manicure Set is a great option to maintain your nails beyond just a regular nail clipper The L:A Bruket. No 102 Hand Cream is a great choice for gentlemen looking to soften those rough hands

When you get an interview request how do you go about understanding the company and how you fit into the organization? Before You Begin The concepts we have highlighted require you to be intentional about your career aspirations and be prepared as you go through the job finding process. Review these core concepts here: · Setting Good Goals · Know What You Are Looking For · Preparing For The Interview We have given you a few key concepts and questions in the links above, but let’s dive deeper into researching the company as you prepare. Company Research 101 Some of the basic questions you should ask are: · How does the company make money? · Is the company facing any reputational or legal problems? · Is the company in a good financial position? Sounds easy enough, but where do you go to find basic information? Google Start with a simple Google search of the company’s name. You can see recent articles and with a little effort you can begin to gather data points as you prepare for your conversations. LinkedIn The next stop on your company research should be LinkedIn. LinkedIn has tons of information about the company, open jobs at the company, and importantly who in your network works at the company. Use this information to understand the key leaders in the organization and learn as much as possible about the hiring manager, future team members, and interviewers. Spend as much time as needed reviewing LinkedIn information as this will most certainly help you in the interview. Glassdoor Glassdoor says it “offers insights into the employee experience powered by millions of company ratings and reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more, combined with the latest jobs.” Again, Glassdoor can give helpful data points, but it is just one of many sources of information so be careful about reviews that may be coming from disgruntled employees. Better Business Bureau You may not think about the Better Business Bureau as a source of information, but you can gain valuable insight into the company and the public reputation the company maintains. Company Research 201 The basics of researching a company are fairly simple, but there are a few other searches you can perform to improve your chances of landing that next amazing role. CNBC / Yahoo Finance If the company is publicly listed on a trading exchange you can find detailed information on the stock price, recent news articles, earnings, and even executives who have recently bought or sold company stock. If the company is public, they will also give quarterly earnings calls so that investors are informed about the positive actions the leadership team is taking to create profits thus creating a good opportunity for you to understand what is going on inside the company. You can largely skip the boring parts where they read out data from the income statement and balance sheet, but there are large chunks of time dedicated in the earnings calls to talking about the company’s strategy and answering wall street analysts’ questions that can be very helpful as you prepare your questions for the interview and as you seek to understand how you will fit into the companies larger strategy. 💡 Pro Tip: Go to the companies “investor relations” site or use earningscast.com to hear the latest corporate earnings call. Know The Hiring Manager And Interviewers Understanding the hiring manager’s and interviewer’s careers and backgrounds can help you connect on a personal level, understand their frame of reference, help you present yourself in a way that improves your chance of getting the job offer, and ultimately help you decide if you want to work with this team. Make sure you understand: · Where did they go to school and where are they from? · Have they worked at other companies or just this one? · How long have they been a manager; if applicable? · Do they have experience in this role or are they new to the job? · Do you know anyone who knows the hiring manager or interviewers? 💡 Pro Tip: If you do know someone who also knows the hiring manager consider reaching out to the shared contact. If you know the shared contact well, you can ask about the character and style of the hiring manager. If you only know the shared contact as an acquaintance, you can still softly ask the shared contact about their point of view on the hiring manager, but be careful as the shared contact may be best friends with the hiring manager. Know The Leadership Team Knowing the leadership team at a company is often overlooked, but these are the people who set the strategy for the company, which determines profitability, which ultimately determines your income. If you see red flags or positive attributes about the leadership team then you should use this as a data point when making your decision about taking an offer or not taking an offer. Take time to understand the leadership team. It will not be difficult to find this information as it is usually posted all over the company’s website. Talk To Someone At The Company We have already shared that as you prepare for an interview you should talk to someone who works at the company. Whether you know someone at the company directly or one of your other network contacts knows someone who works at the company you should make every attempt to speak to these people. Even if you do not have a direct network connection, you may have gone to the same university, or been in the same branch of the military, or have some other common intertest with someone who does work at the company. Use the power of common shared experience to send a message to that person on LinkedIn asking them for a little time and help with your interview preparation. If you send 10 requests, then it is almost a certainty you will find one person willing to help you out. A few questions to ask when you connect are: · What do you like about the company? · Why did you join the company? · What was your interview process like? · What steps for improvement do you see the company taking? · What, if anything, do you know about the hiring team? · What else should someone looking to join the company understand? Remember, keep a positive tone as you use the power of your network. Conclusion The process of researching the company in order to accelerate your career will most certainly take time, but it is well worth the investment you will make in yourself.

When you strive to improve your career and ultimately achieve difficult goals you are going to have setbacks and failures. Failure Hurts Failing can hurt our ego. It’s far easier to quit and give up, but if you are resilient and choose to focus on your goals as a marathon rather than a sprint, then you will be well-equipped tools to overcome failure. Remember, no one is coming to save your career and there are not any participation trophies. Further, if you want help then you must demonstrate that you are working to help yourself. 💡 Pro Tip: Check out Harvard Business Review 10 Must Reads on Career Resilience When you experience a failure ask yourself: - Are you going to take failures personally, blame someone else for your outcome, or are you going to take responsibility for the result? - Did you do everything in your control to create a positive outcome? - How can you improve and adapt next time you face this situation? - Can you do something to make yourself better? - Will you quit or will you use failure as fuel to motivate you to success? - Do you see each failure as one more step towards success? You already know the answers to these questions, so which strategies you can you use to help you face failure and use it to help you towards success? You Must Own Your Outcome Sure, someone may have made noise in the background during your interview, or there was a better candidate for the job, or you received a bad performance review, or you did not get a raise this year. Yet ultimately you are the person striving to advance your career and well-being. No one outside of your inner circle cares as much as you do about your outcomes. It is incumbent that you are the author of your story and that starts with you being responsible for every failure. Seek To Understand, Reflect, And Improve In our core content we have provided an overview of how to approach the situation when You Didn’t Get the Offer. The core concepts of seeking to understand why you didn’t get an offer, reflecting on your performance, and ultimately improving for next opportunity are the same useful tactics you can use in any situation. The key takeaway is that you can use these setbacks or disappointments as a springboard for future success if, and only if, you are willing to sit down and be honest with yourself and then adapt. Keep Fighting Sure, you got knocked down. Pick yourself up, dust off the dirt, and get back in the game. Take a moment to look back at your goals and ask yourself what you are working towards. Your goals serve as your compass and act as a reminder of why you are willing to suffer setbacks and failure. Final Thoughts You will fail at some point in your career and especially when you are interviewing for a new job. Falling short is part of the journey. Failure and setbacks, however, are not permanent if you’re able to muster resilience. Intermittent failure will create a hardness that allows you to confront, and ultimately, tackle harder and harder challenges. Failure is okay but never quit. 💡 Pro Tip: If you need more coaching or advice, please contact us at this link and one of our consultants will be in touch.

We go to work to get paid, but money is not the only form of compensation. Monetary compensation can come in the form of: - Salary - Bonuses - Equity Awards - Profit Sharing - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) - Health Care and Disability Services - Retirement Contributions Companies will even provide an end of year compensation snapshot in a not-so-subtle way of reminding you of all the monetary benefits you are receiving. However, there are other forms of compensation as well: - Vacation days - Education and training stipends - Flexible work location – consider the tax environment in certain states - Flexible work hours - Time off to volunteer - Access to senior leaders and mentoring programs Compensation is tied to industry and the role you perform. - Technology firms may offer a lower cash compensation while offering more equity that could be worth millions and other forms of non-monetary compensation to drive innovation and incentivize employees in pursuit of an IPO or acquisition. - Financial and professional services firms tend to provide a higher cash compensation, and then tie bonuses to firm and deal-related performance. - Most other industries will pay in the form of salary and bonus, and potentially profit sharing or an equity award. - Senior leaders will receive less cash salary but will get more money if the company performs well in terms of case or equity. The main point is to think about how you would like to be compensated and ask yourself: Is money the only thing that matters to you when you think about total compensation? What monetary value do you assign to the other benefits the company is offering? Does the company’s growth potential mean taking equity instead of cash could be worth millions of dollars in the future? See How this graffiti artist made $200 million overnight Do you prefer time off to spend with your family over more money every month? Can taking less money today mean you have access to senior leaders and mentoring programs that will accelerate you career in the long run? Are you willing to take less money to live and work remotely a beautiful tropical location? Answering these questions is deeply personal and not always easy. Understand the trade-offs you are willing to make as you begin to think about the type of role you want, and the negotiations that will ensue when you are nearing offer stage.

We have talked about setting goals, but even if you have the best goals you can still experience anxiety during any phase of accelerating your career. The American Psychiatric Association states “anxiety is closely related to fear, which is a response to a real or perceived immediate threat.” So what if someone tells you “no” for an interview or says “no” we do not think you are a good fit for the role. That “no” is just one more step towards getting the “yes” you are looking for. While it is easy to say there is no real reason for us to be anxious the reality is there is no real threat for us to worry about. We often put too much emphasis on immediate success in our culture today, which leads us to putting more pressure on ourselves to succeed. This ironically is actually detrimental to our success. So, we are going to share a few best practices for overcoming anxiety before an interview. Be Prepared If you have prepared for the interview to the best of your ability most likely you will represent yourself in the best possible light. To be fair, preparation for an interview can take hours of researching the company, rehearsing answers to questions about your experience, and preparing to ask good questions. However, that preparation will lead you to becoming confident as you talk to a potential employer. Manage Your Heart Rate It sounds silly to some people, but you will not perform at your best if you are in a stressed state with a high heart rate. Try sprinting for a few miles and then try completing a complex mental task; it is much harder. The body is dedicating resources to keeping you alive, not thinking critically. Again, the good part here is that an interview is not a life-or-death situation. Here a few tips on how to get prepared for an interview: 1. Have at least 15 minutes between your interview and your previous meeting. 2. Try to meditate before the interview. We like using Headspace as you can select the length of meditation. 3. Have a copy of your resume, the role description, and your questions printed on your desk as you conduct the interview in case your technology fails. 4. Limit external distractions and noises. 5. Remember you are prepared! Keep Your Goals in Mind Remember that this interview is just one step in your journey towards accomplishing your BIG goals. You might have 20 interviews before you find the right role that fits your experience at a company that you want to work for. Conclusion The main thing to take away from this post is that if you are prepared and you did your absolute best and it didn’t work out then there is nothing to be ashamed of. If you didn’t get the outcome you are looking for take a look at our section on “You Didn’t Get the Offer” and remember you are still taking proactive steps to achieving your goals even if you didn’t succeed this time.

Everyone has heard that we should have goals. Whether your goals are personal or professional there are a few concepts you should consider when setting your goals. Take Small Steps Set smaller goals that build upon each other. Desmond Tutu once said “there is only one way to eat an elephant; one bite at a time.” For example, setting a goal to get a new job sounds great on the surface, but also sounds daunting and at times seemingly impossible. What you should really ask yourself is what are the regular activities I need to complete to achieve a larger overreaching goal. Challenge yourself to: - Network with one new person per week - Submit ten applications per week - Talk to two recruiters per week - Have one interview per week You will begin to see that persistent progress towards the small goals will result in helping you achieve your larger goals; one bite at a time. We still recommend that you have BIG goals, but those goals need to be supported with smaller goals that lead to accomplishing the BIG goal. 💡 Pro Tip: Write your goals on your bathroom mirror or somewhere that you can see them regularly. Revisit your goals weekly to track your progress. Use the S.M.A.R.T. Framework Specific Instead of only setting a goal to get a new job, set a goal of getting five interviews at a specific company or five interviews for a specific role. This will help you narrow your focus and has the added benefit of helping others understand your goal so they can help you with the goal. 💡 Pro Tip: Share your goals with your friends and your network. You will be surprised who comes out to help you on your journey if you can make it easy for them to help you. Measurable Your goals should be specific enough that they can be measured. - How many interviews do I want to have over the next month? - How many applications do I want to submit this month? - How much more money do you want to make? - How big of a team do you want to lead? - What year do you want to retire? The criteria for measurement can be anything, but again it is important to have a goal that you can measure yourself against. Achievable This part of the goal setting process can be tricky. You may say to yourself “I know what I want but it is impossible.” Remember to set smaller goals that help you work towards the larger goal. Even if your larger goals seem impossible DO NOT let that stop you. Don’t fear being great. Stay optimistic and good things will happen as long as your stay persistent. If you can set smaller achievable goals that build to the larger goal you will progress on your journey. Realistic Again, setting a realistic outcome for a big goal can seem impossible. This is where having those smaller goals that build to larger goals is so important. Also, do not let your fear of the work or the difficulty of the task prevent you from setting big goals. Don’t let this step hold you back from searching for greatness. Time bound Give yourself an end date for each goal. The small goals can be weekly and the big goals can be quarterly or annually. The idea here is to make sure you are progressing towards achieving your goals. 💡 Pro Tip: Schedule time every Sunday evening to ask yourself: - Did I progress on my goals? - Could I have done something differently to improve my outcomes? - Do I need to adjust my goals given my current situation? - What am I going to do this week to achieve my goals? Write Rest and Edit Writing goals for some people can seem impossible as well. But like anything you can break goal writing into smaller pieces. Write: One thing we like to do is just sit down and write. The goals do not have to be perfect or precise the first time you write them down. Rest: Once you have a rough draft of your goals step away. Edit: When you come back, read what you wrote, look at the S.M.A.R.T. framework, and edit them until you are satisfied you can explain your goals to a complete stranger. 💡 Pro Tip: The process of goal setting is not about the end outcome, but rather about creating good habits that help you work towards accomplishing difficult tasks. Be Accountable The first person you are accountable to is yourself. Get in the mindset that achieving your goals depends on your level of effort. That being said, you should also share your goals with those in your circle of trust. Not only can they help you, but there is proven psychological underpinnings that indicate we work harder towards our goals when we tell other people. If you set good goals and remain accountable you will look back several years from now and know you deserve all of the amazing accomplishments that have come your way. Once you have good goals and good habits about working towards your goals accelerating your career will be part of your everyday routine. Please share any good goal setting tips or habits with us through our Contact Us link.