How Committed Are You To Getting The Results You Seek?
Many people start off the New Year with good intentions for fulfilling resolutions, but their interest and enthusiasm often wanes away by the end of February. This year, make a difference in your life. Review your habits and past behaviors that have previously not produced the results you desire. Be honest with yourself. Examine your circumstances carefully to determine what part you have played in the outcomes you have experienced. Don’t rely on your employer, market conditions, or your family obligations to dictate what happens to you (or doesn’t) this year. Make a commitment to reach your goals by outlining specific actions to accomplish them.
It seems the elements I observe that contribute more frequently than not to a stalled job search or poor results are associated with three elements: lack of commitment, failure to plan and unwillingness to change. The following questions might help you to determine if you are setting yourself up for success, or more of the same this year.
- Are you truly committed to making a change this year?
- Have you written down your goals? Are they specific? Are they measurable?
- How many times in the past have you held off planning a course of action to “wait and see” the results of someone/something else’s actions before you make a decision to do something? Why? What would happen if you simply made a decision to take action, make a commitment, and in the worst-case scenario, had to change your plans later?
- Are you able/willing to stay focused? If you are not what are the barriers? What can you do about them?
- Are you willing to work long hours, weekends and holidays for a limited time to accomplish what you desire?
- Do you know what you need to get done each day?
- How far ahead do you plan your schedule? Are you looking ahead at least 90 days?
- How many hours per day have you worked on your employment (or other) goals in the past?
- How much time do you plan to dedicate to working on your employment (or other) goals every day, every week, every month for the next year?
- How many times have you allowed distractions to prevent you from completing what you have set out to do because you don’t have a plan?
Change Your Behavior – Develop New Habits
- Have you continued to do the same things over and over expecting to get different results? (uh, oh. You know what that means!)
- On a scale of one to ten, with ten being excruciatingly uncomfortable, how uncomfortable are you with your present circumstances?
- Are you willing to sustain that degree of discomfort for 30 days? 60 days?
- Have you made a conscious decision to consistently establish and practice new behavior on a daily basis? In the past, have you stuck with it for more than 30 days?
What is the biggest change you will make this year?
I have struggled with new year resolutions. Thank you for spelling out the changes I need to hear to make my job resolutions happen. I read regularly but haven’t posted before.