FILIPINO JOURNAL ISSUE » Vol. 28 No. 21
By Olivia Bauer | Employment Solutions for Immigrants

Setting goals is the first step towards achieving goals. It sounds simple, but it’s easy enough to get caught up in day-to-day activities and “staying busy,” only to realize that we aren’t actually focusing on what we truly want to achieve.

What are your vision and goals? What do you want to achieve? Brian Tracy suggests that people write down exactly what they want in four key areas of life: income, family, health, and net worth. Goals should be written with as much detail as possible. “They must be clear, specific, detailed, and measurable,” says Tracy. Then set a deadline. What is your time frame for achieving your goals? What obstacles are in the way of reaching these goals? What resources and skills do you need to achieve these goals?

Once you’ve collected this information, you’re ready to make a plan that outlines your first step all the way through to the completion of your goal. This involves setting short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. You can map out exactly what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly to achieve your vision and plan for your life. “When you have a goal and a plan, you increase the likelihood of achieving your goals by 1000%!” says Tracy.

At Manitoba Start, newcomers discuss and develop their professional goals with the guidance of career coaches. After completing this process, one newcomer said, “When I first came to Canada, I thought it was enough for me to have a job and earn money. But you encouraged me to have a career plan and goals to achieve.”

Becky* is another newcomer who benefitted from career planning and goal-setting at Manitoba Start. Becky’s long-term career goal was to work in Canada in her professional field: production and logistics. Her short-term goal was to gain a transitional job to make an income and build experience in the Canadian workplace. Within a month, she had secured two term jobs, but one came to a close at the end of the holiday season. Becky then successfully applied for a service position at a hospital.

Becky stayed in touch with her career coach about her various part-time jobs and eventually realized that although she was employed and keeping busy, she had not put enough emphasis on reaching her long-term goal. Becky re-evaluated her priorities and decided to focus on searching for production positions. Soon, she got a referral to a productions position at a fashion company. Becky contacted her career coach to prepare for her interview and was pleasantly surprised when she was asked many of the same questions she had practiced.

After a series of interviews, Becky was hired full-time as a Product Manager Trainee. “The duties and responsibilities are almost the same as my previous job as a Product Planner,” said Becky. “Thank you so much for your help in reaching my long-term goal!” Because Becky had a clear long-term goal and knew what she wanted to achieve, she was able to adjust her focus and take steps towards success.

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I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there. As I reached those goals, they built on one another. I gained a little confidence every time I came through. … Step by step, I can’t see any other way of accomplishing anything. —Michael Jordan

A winner is someone who sets their goals, commits themselves to those goals, and then pursues their goals with all the ability that is given to them. —Leeman Bennett

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Read about Brian Tracy’s 12 Step Goal-Setting Process here.

*Name changed for privacy.