Although they are quite common in the business world, career goals aren’t something many people are familiar with, nor do they know how to actually set them. Surprisingly, career goals are surrounded by a lot of misconceptions and misunderstanding, a lot like careers themselves, even amongst the people with decades of experience.

In order to help you set achievable career goals and get to where you want to be, we have decided to bust a few common myths on this subject. So, let’s get to work! Those goals aren’t going to set themselves.

Not everyone can have career goals, can they?

So, let’s start with the most obvious one – only people high up the hierarchy should even set them. Career goals are reserved for the top managers, CEOs, and everyone else who has a huge title that precedes their name.

Not true! Setting up career goals is something anyone should do, regardless of their position, years of experience or industry they are working in. Designer fresh out of college, pastry shop owner and CFO of the biggest bank in the world are equally entitled. So, no matter where you are, grab a pen and start writing!

Career goals require a lot of time and energy, don’t they?

How your goals end up looking is surely going to require some time and effort. You do need to make sure they are set up in such a way that you are, in fact, able to achieve them. However, very often the task of creating them seems so unattainable that you give up before you even begin. And we simply can’t allow that to happen!

So, before you sit down and start jotting down all of your dreams, wishes and concrete actions, spend some time simply thinking. While you are commuting, waiting in lines, running… Visualize where you want to be and it will be that much easier to transform all of that into a couple of achievable goals.

I should follow a certain pattern, shouldn’t I?

It is true that there are some established tools, methods and patterns that you can use when you set up your career goals or any goals for that matter. One of the most famous ones is the SMART method. And it is definitely very useful, especially if you are a beginner, and this is your first time setting up goals.

On the other hand, using a certain well-known practice can be quite limiting. Perhaps your goals simply don’t fit into a pattern and you need to draw outside of the lines a little. And that is completely fine. As important as it is to set them, the follow up carries all the weight afterwards.

It is not enough to simply set them, is it?

The mountain of setting up your career goals is quite high, no one is denying that. Unfortunately, simply doing that is only the first step. Following through is much more important since it makes all the difference in the end. So, how can you make sure that your goals don’t just stay written on a piece of paper?

One thing you could do is have a buddy – a partner, a friend, a coach – someone who will follow through with you, and who will keep you accountable. Another important thing is to break down your goals into smaller actions, ones you can follow through every month, week or even day. That way you will be able to see very easily whether or not you are making progress, and you can easily correct yourself if you are going down the wrong path.

It is better to focus on my current situation, isn’t it?

When setting career goals most people tend to focus on their present issue. Let’s say you are looking for a job, and your first goal is to get hired at a good company. Your first step would be to sharpen up your resume and focus on your LinkedIn page. And that would be absolutely right. However, that would be a great step even for someone who isn’t interested in changing jobs.

Why? Because you might use that CV to apply for grants, additional educational activities, or your posts and articles will get noticed by someone who becomes your next client. And the person looking for a job can also add to their plan – attending industry events, improving their portfolio, acquiring additional education.

Try to think outside of the box because sometimes the best opportunities come to us unexpectedly and we should be able to embrace them, no matter where we are in our careers. No matter where we are, and what are our plans, everything can be a new chance to improve our situation and grow even further – through a new role, a new relationship or simply a new activity.

Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.