PHEW! I MADE IT!

As we come to the end of the year (and hopefully take a break) it’s a good time to reflect on the year that was. Yes, it was tough and I along with you will be glad to take a breath. If you are like me, you are feeling a little jaded and tired, after all Victorians have been in lockdown for over 250 days this year – not a record we should be proud of! If you are also like me, you will look at what you have achieved during the year – hopefully a lot.

At the start of every year, I sit down and write my personal and professional goals for the next 12 months. I regularly review those goals during the year and at times refine or change them depending on whether I have attained them or not, as sometimes things change. I then refresh and set new objectives, or if I haven’t attained them (yet), I review and refocus.

At the end of each year, you may or may not have met all your targets. Things do change. It could be business conditions, or it could be something completely out of our control like COVID. Things outside our direct influence have a way of ensuring that we don’t meet all our goals. In any case I don’t beat myself up about it. I analyse why or why not I have been successful, learn from that and then move on. It’s no use being critical of yourself or keep thinking ‘what if’ – that is a waste of time. I would much rather spend time looking forward and going after new goals. They could be the same as the last year and been refreshed; For example, I wanted to do a trek in Italy last year for a special birthday. COVID put an end to that, so I set a new goal to do it in three years’ time. Yes, it’s still a goal I want to reach, just delayed a little.

So, at the end of the year it’s a good time to think about what’s next.

Regarding our professional life, we all go through that ‘should I stay or should I go’ thought around this time. Reflecting about our job is normal and ensures that we are managing our career and not having someone manage it for us. We should then be able return to our careers recharged in the new year, ready to go for the next 12 months, or sometimes we decide to look to move on to greener pastures.

It’s up to us.

Importantly it’s more about ensuring that you still have set your goals and that they are realistic and achievable. Sometimes they can be stretch targets which are often set by our boss, or it may be that we really want to get something that would be a little out of reach if we just continued on our normal path.  How do you reach that stretch target?  As someone once said to me when we first started Tanner Menzies – “Setting large stretch goals is like eating an elephant.  You go about it one bite at a time.” I have eaten a few Elephants over the years. It’s tasty once you finish! Make sure your objectives are bite sized.

At the end of this year, reflect and set next year’s goals. If one of these goals is to advance your career and run your own recruitment business, talk to us. We’d love to help you achieve your 2022 goals.

If you would like to be your own boss and enjoy the rewards that brings, and would like to be supported by enthusiastic and motivated industry leaders, call Peter Gleeson 0419367569, Ian Stacy 0417478229 or Peter Tanner 0419826637 or visit tannermenzies.net.au.

Written by Peter Tanner.