Top 10 Career Milestones:
A Trip Down Memory Lane Can Add Momentum For The Miles Ahead

An Article by Susan Whitcomb, Certified Career Management Coach,  Career Coach Academy

2004 will undoubtedly bring a rash of New Year’s Resolutions (both career and personal) as many people look forward to a fresh start and clean slate. Some of us love to make resolutions; others happily dismiss them as an unnecessary evil! Whatever your opinion about Resolutions and looking forward, consider instead the benefits of Milestones and looking back. Those milestones and meaningful moments will give you some good memories and momentum for the miles ahead. Here are 10 “Career Milestone” items that may give you cause for celebration:

Milestone #1. Accomplishments: What did you accomplish in your career this past year that you are most proud of? Momentum is a by-product of accomplishments. Look to your accomplishments—big or small—to see where you’ve made progress and built momentum. What beliefs or behaviours did you put in place that allowed you to accomplish these accomplishments?

Milestone #2. Improvements: What improvements or opportunities did you capitalize on in 2003? Perhaps you committed to doing things a little differently. What caused you to want to change? How have these changes benefited you?

Milestone #3. Insights: What insights did you gain about your career-life this past year? Learning and growth stem from being aware of thoughts and behaviours. What are you aware of today about yourself or your career-life that you weren’t aware of at the beginning of the year? How will you use those insights to your benefit?

Milestone #4. People: Who made the most positive impact on your career this year? We are inextricably connected to others, whether from working on a team, being coached or mentored, taking a class from an industry leader, reading inspirational material by your favourite author, etc. After you identify that person(s) in your life that positively impacted you, think about what you can do to allow something similar to happen in 2004.

Milestone #5. Impacts: What positive impact have you made on others this past year? Consider the benefits you have brought to your boss, coworkers, colleagues, vendors, or customers. There is great satisfaction in knowing that you have had an impact on others.

Milestone #6. Courage: How did you show courage this year? Merriam-Webster defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” What or who was in place that enabled you to act courageously? How can you leverage that courage to face new challenges?

Milestone #7. Value: How did you add value to your career this past year? Maybe you’ve added a new skill to your toolbox or learned new communication or time management techniques. How has your employer (or clients) benefited from this value?

Milestone #8. Disappointments: Disappointments are an unavoidable part of life. What was disappointing to you this past year? You can make this a milestone by putting systems in place so that you don’t repeat it in the new year. Who can help hold you accountable?

Milestone #9. Gratitude: What are you most grateful for in your career? An attitude of gratitude can be one of the most powerful success tools you possess. Rather than focusing on what’s wrong, focus on what’s right. It takes just as much energy to focus on the positives as it does the negatives—it’s a matter of choice!

Milestone #10. Success: What’s your definition of success? People define career success in a number of ways. In the end, the definitions seem to boil down to doing what’s important to you while bringing value to others. In your work this past year, how have you done what’s important to you? If at the end of each day you can point to some activity that was important to you and brought value to others, you can consider yourself a success. Now that’s empowering!

Enjoy your trip down memory lane … and may the miles ahead be filled with great views, good company, and more meaningful milestones.

Susan Whitcomb, is a Certified Career Management Coach and founder of Career Coach Academy. She can be reached at (559) 222-7474 or by e-mail at SWhitcomb@CareerCoachAcademy.com

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