There’s still time to achieve your professional goals

The new year might be on the horizon, but you can still use the remaining few months of 2022 to get ahead in your career.

We collectively blinked and it’s September. The days are getting warmer, the nights are lighter and the new year’s resolutions you set for your working life are likely a distant memory.

While 2023 might be just around the corner, there’s still time to use the rest of this year to your professional advantage. You can keep fighting for that job promotion or courageously ask your boss for a raise. The deadline on that project you’re responsible for doesn’t have to be blown out and you don’t have to give up on pitching your new idea to the executive team.

But it is time to get serious. First, take a deep breath and get organised. Start by making a list of everything you would like to accomplish by the end of this year. Then, prioritise these goals in order of importance. Think about how achieving these goals will impact your present work life and your future career.

It’s okay to recognise that you may not be able to do it all. You’ll likely need to adjust your goals to ensure that you remain realistic. If you have too much on your plate, reconsider your timeline or try breaking up bigger objectives into smaller, more manageable tasks. You should also think about what is okay to leave for next year and what you can outright say no to doing.

Once you’ve finalised your goals for the remainder of the year, look at how you can delegate. If you’re a manager or people leader, see what work you can distribute to free up your own time. 

If it’s harder to lean on the support of others, try structuring your day to maximise your output. Blocking out time in your diary to help you stay on track with tasks can be one helpful method. You may also want to try using an online time management tool. 

Lastly, with the end in clear sight, it’s important to stay focused. The following tips may help:

• Find your most productive time of the day and block out that window for work.
• Remove distractions by limiting your phone and social media use. 
• Try to focus on completing one job at a time.
• Only schedule and attend meetings that will progress your goals.
• Use a timer to help you set constraints for specific tasks.
• Decline accepting any more work than you can handle, especially if it conflicts with your goals.
• Look after your mental health by eating well, exercising daily and allowing time to recharge, as this will increase your efficiency and productivity.
• Remember to celebrate once you’ve accomplished a task.

There’s just over three months left of the year – what do you want to achieve?