The past few years will have undoubtedly been tainted for many with a global pandemic throwing so many challenges our way. However, this time has offered a great opportunity for many of us to reflect and reassess our priorities contributing to ‘The Great Resignation’. The post-covid world and the ‘new normal’ has led to many people taking the leap into a new career pathway in order to move forward and feel more fulfilled in both personal and professional life. What can we learn from this cultural shift as we progress into 2024?
The start of a new year often fills us with hope and optimism with many of us choosing to set resolutions or goals for the year ahead, but it can be difficult to stay positive as we are still surrounded by so much uncertainty. American basketball coach John Wooden once said: “If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward”. This quote will no doubt have resonated with his players on the basketball court but can be applied to so many other aspects of life as well. The many workers who have taken the leap of faith into a new career during the pandemic have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability as they seek that ever elusive equilibrium between work and life. To avoid those well-intentioned resolutions or goals from being broken this year, it’s time to adapt and start off SMART!
As you are setting out your resolutions, goals or targets for the year ahead, you may wish to consider making use of the SMART method to help give structure and quantifiable steps for you to work towards and to help keep you accountable. This method can be used in a variety of contexts - it could help you to achieve an aspirational target in an important exam; measure your progress when learning a new skill or it could give you some much needed focus when working towards a career goal. So how do you write a SMART target?
If there is anything that we have learnt from the past few years of ever-changing restrictions, it’s that we all have the ability to adapt. Setting SMART targets might or might not work for you, but they can help break your goals into more manageable and achievable tasks. As we progress through 2024, don’t be afraid to adapt as it could prevent you from moving forward, being successful and smashing your goals. Start doing something today that your future self will thank you for.