Career and Job Training Readiness Center

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I DO NOT make New Year’s Resolutions.  That’s because GOALS work so much better.  The difference is in the wording.  A resolution might look a bit like this: In 2010, I promise to get a job.  Wow that’s a big idea!  Not completely in your control, either.  And after a few weeks or months of searching for your new job, you are quite likely to feel like it has been unsuccessful.

Instead, a goal might read something like this: In 2010, I will get training to be a ____, or In 2010, I will update my resume and send it to ____ prospective employers.  Look how measurable those are.  It’s easy to tell if they’ve been accomplished or not.  They are also pretty much in my control.  It’ll be through my own effort if I succeed or not.  Resolutions often rely on cooperation from others, or luck, or other factors outside of your control.  Goals are completely achievable.

Finally, goals are generally easy to break up into manageable steps.  If you’re planning to get additional job training, you have to find the classes, figure out how to pay, get registered, do the tasks required, and so forth.  If you’re updating your resume, you need to gather your past information, choose a format, get it typed up, and so on.

The trick to changing your life, no matter what aspect you’re working on, is to set goals instead of making resolutions for big changes without an action plan that leads to accomplishment.

Happy New Year!