From pearls of ancient wisdom, "If you don't know what port you are sailing to; no wind is favorable." Seneca 'The Younger', 4BC-AD65 To thoughts from today’s greatness, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”   Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 The message rings true: Knowing your personal destiny, and making a plan to fulfill it, is a key element of success. So, here at MPS, we say . . . Scratch the New Year’s Resolutions – only 8% successfully achieve them – and make a customized professional action plan. Step One: Spend just one hour of personal reflection between now and January 20^th.. Ask yourself the following:

• What are my three most meaningful personal and professional accomplishments of 2015?
• What are my three biggest personal and professional regrets?
• If I was only allowed to learn one new skill in 2016, what would I choose?
• If I could only accomplish one item on my bucket list, what would I choose?
• Who are the top three people on my “I would love to meet” list?
• I really __________ (fill in the blank with despise, love, or any word that falls between the two) my job because ___________, ____________, and ___________.

  Step Two: Make a plan outline - complete it by January 30^th.

• What made my accomplishments possible and how can I apply those principles to other situations?
• What can I learn from my regrets and how can I turn that knowledge into a meaningful accomplishment?
• What action will it take to learn my one new thing? A 3-hour webinar, a conference weekend, a one semester class?
• What will it require to accomplish the one item from my bucket list? Will something else have to be deleted from my schedule? Do I need to save up to afford it?
• What path will best lead me to new connections? Is there anyone in my present network who can connect me with the people I want to meet?

  Step Three: Make a specific goal plan – commit to completing this step before Presidents’ Day – that’s February 15th.

• Make your goals simple, meaningful, and attainable. Recognize that the big picture may be . . . well too big – you might have to pick and choose.
• Make your goals specific and focused. Set quarterly targets and establish how you will measure them
• Ask a trusted friend or professional colleague to critique/evaluate your plan and give insight – an objective viewpoint can be invaluable.

  Step Four: Connect with MPS – we specialize in helping our clients and candidates attain professional goals. Contact us today and discover why MPS is the largest independent staffing firm, specializing in precision manufacturing, in the Twin Cities Metro.