Have you made a New Year’s resolution? Of all the years, after all the time you lost to the endless chaos of 2020, this year seems very appropriate to set yourself a target to reach or a goal to achieve. Expectations must be kept realistic, of course, as while we all want to move past the troubles of last year, the calendar flipping over doesn’t magically make COVID-19 or any other problem of 2020 disappear.

This realisation can be turned into a benefit though. As we spoke about last year, the best way to achieve a goal is to use the SMART Method, which preaches that you should create resolutions that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

By recognising the inherent restrictions of this year and creating a plan that is aware of these restrictions, you are best positioned to be productive and attain your intended goal.

Don’t interpret this as a defeatist attitude; the lesson to take is one of realism and precision, of identifying exactly what you want to improve in your life through 2021. If the place you are seeking to enhance is within your professional life, then you must first assess where you want your career to go. Are you looking for that next promotion? Do you want to make a major shift and change career track entirely? Or do you simply want to build upon your skillset so that you can be more capable and confident in your current role? 

Once you have answered this question, once you have decided upon your destination if you will, then you can plan how you intend to get there and when you wish to arrive. This final point about time might be the hardest, especially if you are one of the many people whose goal for 2021 is the same as what you had for last year, which had been delayed due to reasons beyond your control.

But as espoused by the SMART Method, having a schedule for your goals is essential to their successful attainment, and just because your resolution is for the whole year, it doesn’t mean you have a singular goal that has an end date of December 31st. What you should do is build a plan made up of discrete stages with their own smaller goals. This will make the whole project more manageable and you will gain confidence and momentum as you complete each individual stage. A simple schedule that you can plan around is the fiscal quarters of the year, with a unique goalpost every three months (for instance, one goal for a quarter could be to become proficient at using Google Analytics).

AIM is committed to supporting Australia’s workforce achieve their career goals, especially in highly disruptive times. To do so, we are offering everyone in the country a voucher that is worth $300 to be used as credit towards any of our Short Courses, Vocational Qualifications, Mini MBA programs, and more. This voucher can be applied to any course running this year and has unlimited uses, so it can be used for the entirety of your 2021 career development plan.

However, you must book each course that you want to attend by the 28^th of February, so it is imperative that you create your plan for the year as soon as you can.

Click here to claim your voucher now. Use this opportunity to carve out your professional development path through 2021 so you can reclaim the time you lost to last year’s chaos and take command of your career trajectory.

If you would like help with creating your career development plan or would like assistance with booking a course, please call 1300 658 337 to speak with one of AIM’s expert Course Advisors. They will also ensure the $300 credit is applied to every training program you book into.