#1 — PAUSE TO REFLECT

Before you start planning what’s next, look back at the past 6 months. Because as Maya Angelou said: “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.”

Ask yourself:

• What did I want to achieve in 2025 — and did I raise it earlier in the year?
• What progress have I made so far? Acknowledging and celebrating the steps toward your goals is key to stay motivated and on track
• Finally, what got in the way? Consider what stopped you reaching your goals, what’s no longer working and any priorities that have shifted

Rather than beating yourself up, use your answers to get a clearer picture of your position. That way, you can make more informed decisions about what’s next.

Say you planned to put up your hand to lead more projects but you’ve been caught up in your daily to-do list and short-term tasks. What will you do differently in the second half of 2025?

When you assess your current situation, you’ll know exactly where to focus next.

#2 — RECONNECT TO WHAT YOU WANT

This is the most important part. To quote Tony Robbins: ‘Setting goals turns the invisible into the visible.”

Before you focus on KPI’s or what your manager wants, consider:

• What do I want from my career over the next 6-12 months?
• And what’s the ONE thing I’ll commit to for the rest of 2025?

Is it a pay rise or promotion? A secondment or to step into leadership? Develop a new skill or strengthen an existing one?

If you need help to identify your goal, start by doing a brain-dump. List out all your desired goals. Then, reduce this list to your most important goals and projects.

To narrow it down, think about your priorities and passions. Remove anything that’s not truly important or the activities you don’t want to dedicate time and energy to in the next 6 months.

Pay particular attention to any goals appearing on your to-do list consistently and never get completed. Ask yourself — do I really want to commit to this goal? This will help you determine what to let go or focus on.

This is where we start in my Ignite Your Career program — getting crystal clear on your vision and direction before you create a plan. Because without a defined objective, you’ll end up working hard without direction or recognition.

Here’s the bottom-line. When you know what you want, you can create a clear plan to get there!

#3 — RE-ENGAGE THE CONVERSATION

Be proactive and set up a time to meet with your manager. Don’t wait for your next review, do it NOW!

Book it in at a time when you’re both at your best. For example, if you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule it before 9am or first thing on a Monday.

Lead the conversation, by giving them a heads up about what you’d like to discuss. You could say: “I want to have a chat about my career goals. I’ve thought about my focus for this financial year (or the rest of 2025) and would like to get your input.”

This shows initiative and creates space for a two-way conversation.

Finally, give yourself enough time to prepare. Go in ready to share your goal — and make sure you have a clear sense of your strengths, development areas and ways to address them.

When you’re proactive, you’ll create space for a meaningful two-way conversation with your manager.

#4 — RE-DESIGN YOUR CAREER PLAN

Ever heard the saying — failing to plan is planning to fail? Now you’ve identified your objective in Step 2, let’s create the roadmap to get there.

Break your big goal into smaller milestones and make them time bound. What will you accomplish by the end of the quarter or year?

Then, co-create a development plan with your leader so you’re clear on exactly how to reach your goals. This could include stretch projects, specific mentoring, coaching or training to build new skills or strengthen existing ones. Identify:

• What will you do?
• When will you do it?

Finally, get their input and feedback to check you’re on the same page. Ask them: ‘From your perspective, what would have the biggest impact on my readiness and ability to achieve X?’ This creates space for them to share their priorities and ensures your goals align with broader business needs.

Because when you co-create a clear plan, you’ll understand how to achieve your career goals.

#5 — REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS REGULARLY

Career conversations and creating your development plan aren’t activities you do once, set and forget. They’re ongoing.

Keep these conversations separate to discussions about your daily tasks or job performance. I recommend a weekly check-in with your leader to talk about your current workload. Then, a dedicated monthly conversation focused on your development.

Use these monthly check-ins to review the progress you’ve made towards your goals and any challenges that got in the way. This keeps you motivated and in momentum. It also allows you to address any issues early on — rather than waiting until your next review.

Commit to your action steps for the coming month and ask for any support you need. Finally, be sure to lock in your next monthly check-in before you leave the room!

When you check-in regularly, you will stay focused and on track with your goals.

#6 — RECOMMIT TO YOUR GOALS

I always say a plan without action won’t get you results. While others can help hold you accountable, the follow-through is ultimately your responsibility.

This isn’t about time management tactics or productivity hacks. It’s about self-management — taking ownership of how you choose to spend your time and energy. This means:

• Blocking time in your calendar every week to work on your long-term goal
• Saying no to what isn’t serving your bigger vision, and
• Checking in with yourself as often as you do with your manager

It’s easy to get caught up in your daily to-do list and lose sight of your long-term goals. So if you’re prioritising three key tasks per day, make sure one or two each week are focused on your 6-12 month objective. This is what I work on with my clients inside Ignite Your Career, to prioritise what matters most — not just what’s urgent today.

Remember — when you take responsibility for your results, you will reach your goals!

So there you have it, 6 simple steps to start the conversation about your career goals (rather than waiting until your next review). This process has helped my clients take ownership of their careers, clearly communicate what they want and achieve their goals, faster. I hope it supports you too!

Ready to clarify your goals, have those high-stakes conversations with confidence and create a strategy that actually works​?

Click HERE to book a free 30 minute consult and explore if Ignite Your Career is right for you!

Stacey Back is The Career Planning Specialist, an executive career coach and speaker. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.