Short Term Goals That Step You Into the Long Term

In our efforts to better develop ourselves as a manager, an employee, a business owner or even a job seeker, we often focus on how we can achieve our long term goals and strategize forward to that point. However, often, we overlook the short term, ‘baby steps’ that we need to take to get to where we are going. It is the daily ‘wins’ and accomplishments that gives us the momentum to move ourselves to the next step. It’s the little things that are critical to preparing and moving toward long-term aspirations. Following are three immediate ways to build on short term successes:

1. Work to your strengths. If you are in a job or looking for a job that is not exploiting your strengths, then you are probably burned out at what you do. Mastering this step early in a career will save years of anguish and burn out. What if you don’t know your strengths? There are several resources available to analyze and determine what those strengths are. Gallup has the latest Strength Finder 2.0 that is a valuable tool.
2. Create and Reinforce your own brand. In this day and age where innovation and creativity can make the difference between success and failure, creating your own brand is essential. In other words, invent or write your own story. There is no ‘secret’ to success in any field. There isn’t any ONE way to accomplish anything. Write your own article(s), create a better, more effective training manual, streamline a process that makes sense to you. Live to your mantra. What is on your resume that isn’t on any others’ submitted for the job?
3. Open your life to success. Surround yourself with successful people; those who are where you want to go. People have to recognize common values and goals before they will be willing to open and share what they know. Talk to them, find out how they did it. Share your vision and feel their energy.

The above steps are all examples of living to your truth. Doing what is best for you and distinguishing yourself from the crowd.