How To Set Your Career Intentions for the Last Half of the Year

Summer is a great time to reevaluate your goals and see what your expectations look like for the second half of the year. If you set goals early in the year, now is the time to look back and see if you are still working toward them. It is common for people to find themselves off track or moving toward new goals as the year progresses. Plans can change or get lost in the shuffle quickly. 

Evaluate Your Situation

Start by evaluating where you are currently. What does your career look like right now? Think about your strengths and skillset and how they factor into your career plan. Ask yourself: 

• Am I feeling called to something different?
• What do I feel called to do?
• What motivates me?
• What gives me energy/drains me?
• What tasks do I enjoy most?

Write down these answers. You’ll want these answers to reassess later.  

Create a Vision

You’ll need to know where you want your career to go before you can get on the path to get there. How will your current skills play into this? Will you need to learn new skills?

Research what is necessary to get where you want and what you need. Determine how long it’s going to take. The end goal may take longer than the next 6-months, but your path will begin now, and the 6-month start will put you in the right direction. 

Start with Short-term Goals

Creating short-term goals for the next 6months will help you make the changes you need to get where you want. It is also easier to make small changes and be more productive when the milestones are small. Focus on what will help you improve your professional experience, like networking, completing a certification, or taking better care of your health.  

Set goals in a way you can follow and evaluate them. SMART goals are an actionable way to create reasonable goals. SMART goals are Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. You need to be able to determine how you can evaluate each goal, that it pertains to your needs, and how long it will take.

Set Milestones and Reassess

A goal worth achieving is worth reassessing. You took the time to make a plan and create your goals. You’ll want to make sure you’re staying on track. Check your goal progress to ensure you are headed in the right direction. You might also find that changes have occurred and need to change or adjust your goals. That’s okay, too. This is another reason to reassess. 

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