I have said in the past that it is extremely important to have career goals, which act as a destination for where you are taking your career. It is important when setting your goals, to take the time to figure out exactly what you want, nothing more, and nothing less.

Clearly defining your goal is extremely important. Use an analogy of driving to a destination. Is it easier to get somewhere if you only know the city or state or if you know the exact street address? Your goals act as that street address that constantly tells you where you are going.

In setting these clearly defined goals, you really need to figure out what you want. Many people will water down their goals during this process because they believe they are too lofty. By doing this, you are giving up on your goal before you even attempt to achieve it. Why? You have the ability to achieve absolutely anything you want to in your career. When you are setting your goals, just think about your current situation as scenario “A” and the goal you are seeking as scenario “B” AND DO NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET FROM A TO B AT THIS POINT. When people think about the route they will have to take, that is when they often start the “watering-down” process. You can worry about action plans and steps you may take later, but when you are setting your goals focus on your desires, regardless of how unattainable you may think they are.

For example, let’s say you have a clearly defined goal of being promoted to Project Manager in the next 18 months. Attached to this goal is a rule that you set for yourself to work no more than 45 hours per week so that you can maintain your work-family balance. In reviewing that goal, you might say to yourself, there is no way I can get that promotion if I only work 45 hours per week, so you change it to 50. You have now altered your true goal and compromised your values by giving up your work-family balance. This decision was based on a LIMITING BELIEF.

In coaching, we help people with limited beliefs on a regular basis. A limiting belief is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a belief that you hold, that limits you in some way, shape or form. Limiting beliefs typically stem from your past. They may have developed from interaction with someone specific or a certain situation that deeply influenced you. In the above example, the limiting belief is that you cannot become a project manager by working 45 hours per week. Why not? Couldn’t you work more efficiently and delegate more? Limiting beliefs often prevent us from not only achieving our goals, but from setting true goals. When you run into a limiting belief, the best way to beat it is to question it!

Where does that belief come from?

How can I let go of that belief?

Now that you are aware of limiting beliefs start to identify, question and overcome yours today. Doing this will help you tremendously in achieving your lofty career goals!

What limiting beliefs are currently holding you back from achieving your career goals as a civil engineering professional?

This is a guest post from Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success. Anthony found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com and subscribe to the top 3 resources Anthony has used to become a partner in a firm at the age of 27.