Laying out goals

Most of us have those weeks where we feel less effective. This week is one of those weeks for me. I'm sick with some kind of cold/sinus infection and can't hear very well,  my attention span is about a tenth of what it usually is, and all I really want to do is sleep. I'd love to give myself the excuse of "I just don't feel well", but that shouldn't deter me from the bigger picture.

Whenever I feel like I'm veering off of a productive path, I take a moment to reestablish goals and the tactics that will be required to achieve them -- even if it means pushing past my comfort zone.

Today I present you with three major goals of mine:

1) Be awesome at my job. 

In my current role, I am tasked with growing business among existing accounts. In order to do this, I need to understand individual business goals for each client and how our marketing services can help them achieve these goals. Luckily, I work with awesome team members who pay close attention to the impact our program has on our clients' bottom lines. 

From a tactical standpoint, I will list out goals per client and recommended services that will help them succeed. I will also work more closely with our program leads to gain additional insights into how I can add value to each client relationship without making an overt pitch.

2) Figure out what's next. 

My boss popped a big question a few weeks ago -- "What do you see yourself doing next?"

I found it really hard to answer. I love what I do now, but I will always operate under the principle that there is more I can be doing and learning.

When I was in college, I had high hopes of working in a creative field. Now that I have worked in roles not traditionally considered as "creative",  I've found that creativity does indeed play a huge role in forward-moving career paths. I want to use my creativity to improve processes and make strong cases for change, which is ultimately what selling is really about.

Within the next year, I would like to have a clearly defined career path in which I will thrive on my strongest attributes and strengthen my weakest abilities.

3) Continue growing relationships. 

Whether personal or professional, relationships are absolutely critical to self-improvement. I want to foster my existing relationships by sponging up insights of my colleagues and peers. To do this, I need to be a consistent communicator while remaining sensitive to what drives others.