The new year is here, and it’s the ideal time to start thinking about what you want to achieve in your personal, and professional life.
The chances are that you’ve made New Year’s resolutions in the past. However, as January rolls on, and many of us experience the blues that come after the holiday season, it can be challenging to focus on making your goals a reality. The good news is that all you need is the right plan to ensure you’re starting your 2019 off on the right foot.
With various changes set to hit the manufacturing industry in the next 12 months, a robust development strategy can be your way of keeping up with the transformation. Here are our top tips for making this your year in manufacturing!
1. Define What You Want
Whether you’re planning for a successful manufacturing career or setting goals for personal development, the first step is to make sure you can clearly visualise what you want to achieve. According to Maxwell Maltz, human beings are wired to seek out success, but we need to know what we want before we can achieve anything significant.
Ask yourself what you accomplished in the last 12 months, and what you would like to achieve in the year ahead. Is there a new trend you want to take advantage of in manufacturing, like AI? Do you think it’s time to work on your confidence and boost your managerial skills?
Once you’ve picked a few goals to work towards, outline why they’re important to you and how they’re going to positively change your life. This will keep you motivated in the months ahead.
2. Break Your Goals Down into Manageable Chunks
One of the biggest mistakes that people make with their new year’s resolutions is that they expect too much of themselves, too quickly. While it’s fine to be ambitious, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to succeed when you break your long-term goals down into smaller, more achievable chunks.
For instance, if you know that you want to be a manufacturing manager by the end of the year, start by telling yourself you’re going to take one leadership course in the next 3 months. In the 90 days after that, you can start taking on extra responsibilities at work and networking with potential peers who can help you to accomplish more at work.
Breaking things down into 90-day segments not only makes your goals easier to manage, but it also ensures that you can adjust your targets if you feel you need to. 12 months is a long time, and you may find that your ambitions evolve throughout the year.
3. Find the Right Support
A great support network is valuable in any goal-setting strategy.
Friends, family and even co-workers can keep you focused and confident when you struggle on the path to your goals. After all, making a change in your professional or personal life isn’t always smooth sailing. If things go wrong along the way, it helps to know you have someone to turn to.
You can also look for more advanced forms of support. For instance, if you want to pursue a career as a maintenance technician, why not ask someone already in that role to be your mentor? An experienced mentor can give you an outside perspective on the progress you’re making towards your targets, and even help you to achieve your goals faster.
On the other hand, if your goal is to eventually move into a different role, then access the support of a specialist manufacturing recruitment company like Sigma. With us, you’ll have a much easier time when it comes to finding and securing your new position.
4. Remember That Personal Growth is Important Too
When you’re striving to make 2019 your year in manufacturing, it’s crucial to remember that your personal development can be just as important as your professional growth. For instance, a personal development course that builds your self-esteem and improves your ability to work as a team will open the door to new business opportunities and make you more employable.
When you’re setting your goals for 2019, think about not only the technical skills you need to focus on in the year ahead but the soft talents and personal accomplishments that matter to you too. By looking at every part of your personal and professional life, you’re more likely to end up with a more holistic approach to success.
5. Schedule Regular Reviews
Finally, remember to put a note in your calendar at the end of every few months, to tell yourself to look at your goals and decide whether you’re still moving in the right direction. The things that you want in the first 30 days of January might not be the same as the goals you set for yourself in March.
A regular review strategy will allow you to take an agile approach to 2019, where you can adjust and adapt your plans for success according to your needs. Reviewing your goals will also give you an opportunity to look back over what you’ve achieved so far and celebrate the progress that you’re making. This will help you to maintain your motivation as you move towards 2020.
About Sigma Recruitment
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations. This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
