breaking down goals by industry & network
have you been longing for a change?
A change that is the result of the accomplishment of a goal. A goal that represents the actual manifestation of your dream? I believe it is safe to say that we all have dreams. Yet, do we really act on them and put in the actual work for their achievement?
Ever since we were small, we have started to create stories or visions for ourselves in our mind that we refer to as dreams. But as we grow older this ability to dream tends to decrease. Thus,
it is up to us to take the driver seat & to redirect our focus on “dreaming big”!
It is important to acknowledge that any limitation on our dreams is solely a self-inflicted fear projection onto our present memory. A projection that can be lifted by exchanging fear-based thoughts with positive affirmations.
pro tip:
Every time you have a fear-based or self-doubting thought, replace it immediately with a positive thought of a situation that you have successfully mastered in the past.
Here is an example of how to execute this:
1. Self-doubting thought arises:
“I want to speak Spanish, but I struggle studying a new language.”
2. Think of a past situation in your life that you have successfully mastered:
“I learned how to play an instrument.”
3. Affirm yourself that you were successful before:
“I have learned a new skill (playing an instrument) before, thus I know that when I set my mind to learning, I can get the results I want.”
Following this pro tip will enable you to eliminate self-doubt and embrace positive thinking instead.
The ease and creativity of a child when it comes to dreaming big is a beautiful paradigm of how to approach goals without limitations. Simply because children blend out any limiting believes - to them everything is possible and real. So, to achieve any goal, let’s put ourselves back to the good old days as a child when everything was possible!
Every dream starts with defining your goal by using the SMART method (= setting a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goal). Followed by the creation of a precise plan on how to achieve the goal. This plan represents a break-down of small daily to dos that will pay into achieving the goal.
From my own experience and my mentors’ advice I can confirm that the realization of any goal is directly correlated to the work put in. Thus, I remind myself every day that:
quantum results require a quantum work ethic
Backing up a goal with the support and learning of a mentor is pivotal for the goal’s realization. This is where the Mentorship Masterplan comes in play, a 10-step process that I have developed to enable you to find the right mentor and to create a long-term relationship with the mentor - all to ultimately achieve your goal. Read more on the masterplan here.
Working with a mentor backed with a quantum work ethic and an unshakable believe in yourself is your lottery ticket to transform any goal into reality!
The winning formula is:
(desire + skill) x believe = result
desire = the goal you aim to achieve
skill = your academic- & work experience
believe = the faith in yourself
result = the realization of the goal
make achieving your goal your highest priority, so the new & elevated you can truly flourish!
Today we are focusing on step 2 of the Mentorship Masterplan:
step 2:
break down the goal by industry & network
Breaking your goal down into the WHY & WHERE (= the industry) and the HOW (= the network) will enable you to reach your goal faster.
pro tip:
Apply the “clean-sheet” method, using a white piece of paper and putting your goal in the center of the paper in a circle. On the left side add a column called “THE INDUSTRY”, on the right side next to the circle add a column called “THE NETWORK”.
In this example we are using the following SMART goal:
“I am going to get a Junior Product Manager role in Marketing at a leading Fortune 500 (put the desired companies down) by December 2021 by applying to 3 job postings on LinkedIn every Saturday over the next 3 months.”
Answer the following questions by noting down your thoughts in each column:
1) the industry
- What am I passionate about (i.e. brands, products, services, technologies, hobbies, places)?
- Why am I passionate about this?
- How does this passion influence my daily life?
- Which industry is linked to this passion?
- What do I know about this industry?
- What trends have I been observing within this industry?
2) the network
Who would you need in your network to achieve your goal?
What experiences, traits or insights does this individual need to support you?
Does this individual have to work in a certain career field (Marketing, Sales, R&D)?
How can this individual help you in your development? There are two types of development: personal- (confidence, articulation, etc.) and industry development (industry-, product- and trend- know-how).
Implement the following action steps. Firstly, research the industry.
how?
Learn about the industry that you are passionate about by researching industry trends on Youtube, Ted Talk, Mintel & Datamonitor (both are market research databases that you have access to via your university library), Businessinsider.com, Forbes.com and Statista.com.
why?
Become the expert by backing up your passion with industry KPIs (KPIs= quantitative performance indicators). This will enable you to better engage in conversations about your goals with a mentor or when invited to an interview, you can shine beyond the classic know-how of for instance a company’s new product launches.
performance is always measured according to the depth of value that you provide your opposite with in any conversation!
You will want to make sure to stay woke of:
consumer behavior changes
How have consumers changed their consumption habits (i.e. rise of social media – Tik Tok) or purchasing behavior (i.e. shift towards online channels)?
rising market trends
What are new trends in the market? Are there any new products popping up?
future industry predictions
What future industry changes could you imagine? Example questions are: What will be the future of retail (online vs. offline)? Will we pay with digital currencies only one day?
We are going to outline the practice of defining your network in next week’s Monday minutes by addressing how to make a shortlist of the “who do you know?”. Giving you the ability to maximize your existing network and to create a new network that will enable you to reach your goals faster.
Monday Minutes are my personal & independent reflections for inspirational purposes only. They are not professional career advice, they simply outline my experience & advice that has been shared with me and helped me personally.