Career Coaching: Dreams Without Plans Are Just Dreams

You don't have to be a wiseman to realize that dreams are just dreams unless there is a action plan to translate them into reality.

Do you know of anyone who disagrees with the common sense wisdom of setting a final destination and having a plan for the journey before beginning a trip?

Then why do many of us act as if we can drift along day to day, thinking somehow we can achieve our dreams of career success without making the effort to have defined personal goals and plans to reach them? Dreams won't make the car payments.

Five Excuses For Not Setting Goals

If you are stymied in setting personal goals, a look at five of the excuses people use when they fail to make plans for their futures should help.

1. Goals are not necessary. Research conducted by Yale University of one of its graduating classes found that only 3 percent of graduates had taken all the steps necessary to set career goals and plans; 10 percent had done some of the necessary things; 87 percent very little or nothing. A study 20 years later, revealed the 3 percent had accomplished more than the other 97 percent combined in terms of career positions and financial rewards.

2. Fear. We are afraid that if we set goals and don

About the Author

To get more common sense advice to protect and advance your career during tough times, sign up at http://www.CommonSenseAtWork.com for a free subscription to Ramon Greenwood's widely read e-newsletter and participate in his blog. He coaches from a successful career as Senior VP at American Express, author of career-related books, and a senior executive/consultant in Fortune 500 companies.

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