How to Set Career Goals That Actually Stick

Career goals are a great concept in theory — until they get lost in the bottom of our notebook or lost in our emails by the time February rolls around. The thing is, it’s not hard to come up with goals. Instead, the trick is to come up with goals that are clear, motivating and achievable — especially when your life gets unpredictable. Whether you’re new to the workforce, in the midst of a career change, or working on ascending the ranks of leadership, establishing goals that actually hold can give you focus and fulfillment.

Why Career Goals Matter

Professional goals help structure and give meaning to your career path. They enable you to concentrate on what matters to you most, make smarter choices about opportunities and keep motivated in the down times. Most importantly, they give you a metric to gauge progress and success that is personal, not something standard based on titles or salary. But fuzzy goals like “be more successful” only take you so far if they aren’t tethered to clarity and intention.

Step 1: Take a reflection/inward phase for your own self

It’s essential to take a step back and assess your current situation and your desired outcome before setting your goals. Consider what makes you happy at work and what type of work environment you thrive in. Ask yourself: What do I truly love — creativity, stability, flexibility, leadership? What sort of career path do I envision for myself over the next one, three or five years? And what sort of impact or legacy do I hope will result from my work? Raw (as in, honest) answers to these questions are going to help you come up with goals that are authentic to what truly matters to you, instead of to what you believe you “should” be chasing.

Step 2: Follow the SMART Methodology

One of the most effective methods for creating professional goals is to utilize the SMART approach. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. To make this work, you need to do more than just the generic intention.

So, rather than saying “I want to advance in my career,” a SMART goal would be, “I want to finish that digital marketing course and have sent updates to my CV by the end of this quarter.” The first is nebulous and hard to follow, while the second is clear, contains a deadline, and outlines specific next steps. Write your goals down in this manner, and they will seem less daunting and more achievable.

Step 3: Short-Term and Long-Term Goals  

Short-term goals serve as stepping stones, allowing you to progress toward your long-term vision. Short-term goals could include updating your LinkedIn profile, participating in a virtual networking event, contacting a mentor, or acquiring a new tool related to your field. These are the kind of goals that can be accomplished in just a few weeks or months, providing a sense of forward momentum.

But long-term goals tell the broader story. Those might include transitioning into management over the next two years, establishing a personal identity as a thought leader, or securing a fully remote position that provides the work-life balance you desire. You should have both types of goals, so as to ensure that you are steadily advancing and yet remain focused on the larger horizon at any given time.

Step 4: To Adjust If Necessary

Setting goals isn’t something that happens once and is done. Your goals should evolve as your career does. Reflect every couple of months. Re-evaluate if your goals and objectives are still valid and make sense, if you are indeed progressing, and what might be holding you back. It's totally okay to shift or change your goals. Life doesn’t go according to plan, and that’s O.K. The key is to keep moving forward and in sync with your dynamic value set and circumstances.

Pro Tip: Tell Someone What Your Goals Are

It’s easy to let your goals drift when you hold them close to your chest and keep them to yourself. But when you share them with a mentor, a peer, a friend, a coach, you add a layer of accountability — and you open doors, providing an entry point for empathy, encouragement, and, yes, some luck. Sharing your goals also helps to normalise ambition and growth across your stage, especially if you are on a platform like DiverseJobsMatter, where diverse voices and career trajectories are celebrated and encouraged.
 

Career goals don’t have to be pressured — they need to be purposeful. The best goals are squarely in line with your values, interests, and potential. They represent who you are now and who you are becoming. Whether that’s landing your dream job, pivoting into a new field, or doing work that aligns with your identity and skill set, the key is to set goals that are clear, relevant, and achievable.

So here’s your assignment: Today, write down one short-term and one long-term career goal. Be specific. Be honest. And most of all, believe that you can have it.