6. Would it be advantageous, either in your current job or when you change jobs, to learn a new skill or update your area of expertise? Are you interested in exploring a new or related line of work? If yes, look for ways to develop your interests and skills now – for instance, by taking a college course, doing free-lance work, or volunteering for a cause you care about.

7. Consider who you will want to use as references in event that you have to find a new job. Are there at least three people, other than your boss, who know your work well and can recommend you enthusiastically? Now is time to make sure that you have strong, positive connections with those people, and to update them on what you are doing.

8. In addition to three people you identified in step 7, you will likely want to use your current boss as a reference sometime in future. With this in mind, put yourself in your boss's shoes. Are you meeting and exceeding his or her expectations? Do you know which aspects of your job are most valuable to your boss, and do you give those high priority?

9. If and when you find yourself hunting for new job opportunities, your network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances can be an important source of information and support. Be sure that you are keeping in touch with these people and helping them out as needed – later on, they'll be happy to help you out, too.

10. Last but not least, revise and update your resume now, while you are not under pressure to do so or feeling worried about finding work. Take time to consider your resume carefully and seek feedback from friends or professionals. If you suddenly find yourself without a job, you'll be glad to have a resume in hand.

Copyright (c) 2004 by Ruth Anderson

Example 2: I will become more efficient at work by a) taking on less work, b) avoiding interruptions, and c) spending my time on high priority projects.

Much more effective: I will become more efficient at work by a) meeting with my boss each week to discuss what is high priority and what can be delegated, b) designating a daily block of time when my door will be closed and I won't answer phone, and c) choosing one high priority task for each of those blocks of time.

Step 7. Identify not only what you will do, but WHEN you will do it. This step, more than any other, may make difference between good intentions and actual results. It is essential to designate time for actions you will take, or they simply won't happen. To be realistic, this means that you will have to eliminate or reduce time that you were formerly spending on something else. If you try to stuff a new goal into your current routine, you're likely to achieve only greater levels of stress and frustration.

NOTE: If you can't realistically fit your intentions into your daily life, go back to steps 1 and 6 and reduce number of goals and/or actions. Far better to choose fewer steps and get them done, than to dream over a longer wish list.

Step 8. Create visual reminders and tracking systems for each action step, and put them where you cannot help but see them. (Otherwise... out of sight, out of mind.)

In other words, don't just decide to walk 6 times a week – put an exercise calendar on your refrigerator and write down when you walk. Similarly, don't just decide to meet regularly with your boss – schedule meetings for every Monday on your calendar and use them to make a list of high-priority tasks that you post by your phone.

Step 9. Create allies and a support structure.

If you keep your goals to yourself, it's much easier to let them slide. But if you let a few friends or coworkers know about them, your resolve will automatically be higher and you may create helpful allies – coworkers who are less likely to interrupt when your door is shut, or friends who will offer words of encouragement.

An even stronger step is to ask someone with a similar goal to partner with you, or arrange to check in with a friend, family member, or coach on a regular basis. You can even hire one of your kids to help track your efforts – they will welcome opportunity to remind you of what you are supposed to be doing!

Step 10. Reward yourself by finding ways to celebrate benefits of what you achieve.

To truly make your goal a work-in-progress, instead of some distant possibility, reap benefits as you go along. Have you made progress toward your target weight? Consider buying a new outfit that feels comfortable and attractive, or joining that health club you were too self-conscious to go into last year. Have you met an important deadline on time without taking work home? Reward yourself by spending an evening doing something special with people you care about.

Copyright © 2004 by Ruth Anderson