5 Signs You’re Chasing The Wrong Career Goal

You know what your next career move or promotion looks like, you’re clear on what you need to do in order to get there and yet something makes you question whether this is really what you want.  

Often the moves we make within our career can be done on auto-pilot, we see the typical path, most other people seem to be taking it and so we naturally do the same thing. 

When we make that decision it can be made with little thought or self-exploration which can lead us to question things later down the track. 

So if you’re questioning the direction you’re headed in, here’s 5 signs to watch out for that may mean you’re chasing the wrong career goal and may need to re-assess. 

1. You're Not Sure Why You Want It 

Ask yourself why you’re chasing the goal and tune into how easy or not it is for you to answer the question. Are you confident and certain or vague as to the why? If you don’t have a deep rooted enough reason driving you towards the goal, a reason that will keep you moving forward, there is a strong risk that it’s not the right goal for you. Think about what it means to you, what does it allow you to do or who it allows you to become to assess whether the reason is meaningful enough to you.

2. You’re Only Doing It For The Money

Money and remuneration is important and there are times when money is the one and only reason for going after a career goal. Let’s say you’ve just been made redundant and urgent bills need to get paid; your ‘why’ in this instance is likely deep rooted enough to ensure you do what it takes.  

But when money is the only driver, it’s often short lived. It serves the ‘urgent short term’ or ‘luxury lifestyle allure’ purpose and then once that has worn off there isn’t enough there in addition to make the effort required worthwhile, or certainly not sustainable.   

There needs to be more in it for you than the money to make it sustainable, and enjoyable.

3. You’ve Made Little Progress 

When it comes to the things that you need to do to achieve the goal, how well are you progressing? Pay particular attention to the areas you can control. If you’ve made little progress, despite being able to control it, why is that? Be sure to assess the circumstances in your life to ensure the reasons for your lack of progress aren’t simply short term obstacles that are truly preventing progress. If not, it may be that you aren’t too fussed about doing what is required, because you aren’t too fussed about whether you get there or not. And if that’s the case, it’s likely it’s not the goal that will give you long term satisfaction.

4. You Find The Work Needed To Achieve It Is All Too Hard 

Making a change in your career or securing a promotion shouldn’t be easy. If it was everyone would be doing it. There should be challenge, harder tasks and tougher times. But, that said, if everything you need to do feels overwhelming, too hard and like you’re constantly dragging yourself uphill, it’s worth paying attention. The risk is that you’re not playing to any of your strengths, and / or you simply don’t enjoy the nature of the work. Assuming the work needed to get to your ideal role is similar or aligned to the work you’ll be doing in future, it could be that it’s not really right for you. 

5. You’re Not Excited When You Think About Reaching The End Goal 

Imagine yourself at the end position, in the role or career that you’re striving for, how do you feel? Are you excited at the prospect? If you’re not then it’s a good time to tune into what you are feeling. Is there a sense of fear or dread, a sense of overwhelm or panic? Perhaps the idea of performing the role feels boring or uninspiring? That gut feeling shouldn’t be ignored. Dig deeper on any negative thoughts to ascertain what’s causing you to feel that way, it may be a lack of confidence, or self-esteem rather than it purely being the wrong goal for you which are all areas you can work on. But if there is little to no excitement, you may want to ask why. 

If you’re working on a goal currently and are keen to unpack the steps you need to take to ensure you get the progress you want, download my ‘Career Roadmap Worksheet’ where you can dig deeper on your why, what and how to get the result that matters most to you.