New Year, New You - 9 Examples of Professional Goals to Set In 2023

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Goal setting is an extremely vital part of any successful career and something we should all do to help track and monitor our progress. We’re only humans, and many things often steal our attention, but when you set goals, you’re holding yourself accountable for your own development.

2023 is nearly here. So, let’s talk about goal-setting to get the new year started. In this article, we will be sharing 9 examples of professional goals you can set to help you go further in your career.

1. Find a Mentor

Mentoring is a fantastic and effective way to develop both personally and professionally. Mentoring is all about people coming together to help one another evolve, develop and achieve their goals, who wouldn’t want that? From helping you gain new confidence to improving your leadership skills, the benefits of mentoring are endless and something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Most people believe that mentoring is expensive, however, with PushFar, you can find a mentor today, for free.

2. Join an Online Course

With the introduction of the internet, came endless opportunities for us to learn new things and expand our existing skill set. A quick Google search will show you a list of some excellent online courses you can take part in, no matter your budget. The best part of online courses is their accessibility, as they can be done remotely from anywhere in the world, at the click of a button. Online courses are a terrific tool that can help you gain new opportunities in the future.

3. Have a Morning Routine

Having a morning routine sets you up for the day, making you feel more motivated and productive to complete the tasks you need to get done. When you have a routine in place that suits you, then you’re improving your chances of having a great day. We’ve all been there, rushing out the door with minutes to spare with a random snack to have for breakfast because we woke up too late. In 2023, why not have a routine that sets you up for success and relieves you of any morning stresses?

4. Learn Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Many people underestimate the significance of knowing their strengths and weaknesses. When you have a more in-depth insight into things you do well and areas you can improve, you truly gain a better understanding of your full potential. Whether you excel at public speaking or are someone who struggles to manage their time correctly, when you know more about how you can improve, you can come up with solutions that will help you develop and make your working life easier in the long run. When you understand your strengths, you can leverage these to showcase your potential.

5. Say ‘Yes’ and Take on New Challenges

Many of us say ‘no’ to things that could help us grow, due to them being out of our comfort zone. Maybe you’ve outgrown your role and don’t want to change your career, or maybe you’re looking to handle more responsibilities within the workplace, either way, if we want to develop, then we need to take on new challenges. Whatever the reason for saying yes, the challenges you go through and experience are all part of the professional learning journey, which will benefit you ultimately.

6. Seek Feedback

As a human, it’s natural to not find negative feedback difficult to hear, however, it’s crucial for professional and personal development. Make 2023, the year you seek out feedback, whether it’s from your boss or even your team members, feedback is vital to help you grow. It might not always be nice, but it is necessary to understand the problems you need to address if you want to improve. When you ask for feedback, it also shows you’re eager to learn and develop, which is always a great way to impress your boss.

7. Gain More Experience

Maybe you're a graduate looking to gain new experience in your chosen field or someone who wants to completely change career paths. Either way, why not make it your 2023 goal to gain new experience? There are so many ways you can do this, for example volunteering at your local not-for-profit or asking your boss if you can take on some responsibilities from a different department. When you gain more experience, you're gaining the skills you need to take the next steps in your career journey.

8. Expand Your Professional Network

Networking leads to new opportunities, exchange of knowledge, better relationships and so much more. There are so many benefits associated with expanding your professional network and are extremely significant no matter your role, or industry. When we connect with others, we’re building a professional identity. Over the last few years, due to the increase in hybrid work models, has made networking more difficult, however, you shouldn’t let that stop you. From reaching out on LinkedIn or PushFar to attending a conference, there are many ways you can expand your network.

9. Improve Your Work-Life Balance

There's no denying that work is an extremely important part of our lives, it’s somewhere where our friends are and the place we spend the majority of our time. Sadly, many people neglect their work/life balance, which leads to decreased productivity, burnout and so much more. We truly recommend that in 2023, you make it your goal to achieve a healthy work-life balance if this is something you struggle with. When you stop sacrificing your personal life, you’ll soon see a huge number of benefits.

Final Thoughts

It’s never too late to improve and something we should all be striving for in both our personal and professional lives. Setting professional goals is a wonderful way to realise your full potential. We hope this article was able to inspire some of your 2023 New Year goals, and, whilst we understand that achieving these goals isn’t always an easy process, it’s always worth it. Taking those first steps to grow is always the hardest. Make 2023, the year of continuous professional growth to help you get further.