Situation: After two challenging two years, a CEO has observed that to keep the company afloat he has had do set aside his personal goals. As the economy has recovered business conditions have improved and he wants to devote more time to personal goals and objectives. Where should he focus, and how have others faced this challenge? How do you balance career and personal goals?
Advice from the CEOs:
- Take the time to think about and quantify a long-term solution. This should be in detail with specific and measurable objectives, and, ideally, timelines.
- Talk to peers. Ask them about their experience and how they defined both professional and personal goals.
- Seek a mentor. Evaluate several before selecting one
- Use introspection and identify the real issues and factors – both those that must be tackled and those that are aspirational.
- Document your dreams and pursue them.
- Define your goals and objectives.
- Define what makes you happiest and assure that the goals objectives align with this.
- Create a reward structure. Assure that you are in charge of each reward.
- Pursue fulfilling outside activities.
- Look at organizations or courses that are inspirational and aspirational and which align with what was documented in the first two steps. These could be formal organizations like Toastmasters or evening academic or online courses that appeal to the documented aspirations.
- Get a copy of Don Clifton’s “Now, Discover Your Strengths.” It includes a link to the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment that helps to identify strengths and fulfilling talents.
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