If you need to work on your goals then December is a great time to set your goals and intention for the beginning of 2021.
We all know SMART goals, they are they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related – Yes, this is a tried and tested method of goal setting but is it really the most inspiring?
Job search is hard and you have to stay motivated so finding ways to stay inspired is an important part of your career strategy. To avoid Job Search fatigue and keep our motivation high, I prefer to work with TRAMS goals. I have always done things in a back-to-front way, and the way I set goals are no exception.
I’ll explain what they mean below. I read about TRAMS goals many years ago, and I don’t know who to attribute them to, so please leave me a comment if you know. So, lets start…
T – Thrilling
I prefer to work with thrilling than specific in every way. Thrilling goals are exciting and keep me going. My thrilling goals are always towards goals too and not away from goals.
R – Resonating
The goals need to resonate for me. You can’t have a goal that is for another person. It has to be about where you and only you want to get to.
A – Accountable
This looks very different for different individuals. You might get projects done by the deadline, you might tell others about your project to ensure you make it happen. On a job search this might mean a career coach or it might mean a job search club like #BeInspiredGetHired or collaborating with someone else who is also looking. Whatever form it takes, holding yourself accountable in some way is crucial to the success of your goal.
M – Measurable
You’ll never know if you have reached your goal if it’s not measurable. I want a pay rise, I want to work less in the week. What does more or less look like, you need to make these goals quantifiable, something to work towards and you’ll be able to see progress along the way.
S – Specific
By the time you get to specific at this point, you will know exactly what you want your goal to look like. You need to write the goal down in a specific and precise way. Basically this is where you name your goal, based on working out the TRAM details.
It might look like this:
I want to land a job by the end of January 2021, working 3 days / week, based on 50 days job search intelligence and preparations and applying for a 50 roles.
Connect with your goal on a personal level and make a commitment to yourself and not to your goal. Ultimately, you are working towards something for your sake, not anyone else’s which will make it easier to hold yourself accountable. Visualise yourself having achieved the goal. Talk about the goal in the present tense.
Things have drifted drastically in 2020, if you need some help setting your work / life goals for 2021, drop us an email hello@careervoyage.co.uk or visit our website here.
Sarah started her career in fmcg marketing working as a brand manager on Clover and as an interim manager on Clover (twice) and Quorn. She founded a start-up interim management company in Gloucestershire and that business changed the percentage of women and diverse talent in senior marketing and HR roles. Sarah specialises in attracting, onboarding, developing, engaging and retaining diverse talent into forward thinking businesses to improve productivity, performance and profit. Flexible working and wellbeing play a large part. Since covid-19 wreaked havoc on the job landscape, Sarah has a created an innovative programme to get senior experienced professionals back into work or fine-tune their current role so that it makes happy.