Setting Up Career Goals in Four Steps

1. Be specific

When you make a goal, be sure it’s very specific. You definitely don’t want to make a goal to “make a lot of money in the next five years.” You need to be specific. How much money do you want to make? How do you want to make the money? A goal like “I want to make $1,000,000 by selling my vacation home and bringing two patent cases by January 2025” is a much better way to state your goal.

2. Be realistic

You obviously want to make your goal a stretch, but you want to make it a realistic stretch. Something like “I want to buy my own island in the Caribbean by 2024” may not be a realistic goal for a 2nd year associate who has no other assets. However, “I want to buy my own island in the Caribbean by 2044” may be more realistic.

3. Put a specific date on your goal

It’s very important to give yourself a time line when you’re making goals. Without due dates, none of us would get very far. (Now you know why courts have due dates for motions!)

4. Write it down!

This is by far the most important tip (and the easiest) when making goals. If your goals are written, you are much more likely to remember them and achieve them.

More questions about setting your career goals? Contact us! We’d love to help.