Ken Chase 
Are bad career goals slowing your drive to success?
There are many factors that help determine a person's success, but few are as important as the ability to set and pursue career goals. Without a clear goal in mind, you'll almost always struggle to figure out a career path that can help you achieve your dreams. However, it's important to recognize that along with no career goals, bad career goals can also prevent you from achieving the success you deserve.
In this article, you'll learn why it's so important to set the right goals for your career and avoid those bad objectives. We'll provide some examples of bad career goals that are almost always destined to fail.
Related reading: Set Goals That Really Matter for Your Career
Why you need to set the right kind of career goals
If you've ever traveled to an unfamiliar place, then you know the importance of having a reliable map to get you where you're going. No one sets out on a long journey without some clear destination in mind. The same is true for your career. You need a clear objective in mind if you want to advance toward some higher level of success. That's where good career goals come into play.
Good career goals can make it easier to create a plan of action for your career path. For example, it's great to know that you want to be a manager – but how are you going to reach that goal? What steps will you take between now and then to earn that promotion? If you plan on being promoted to a senior-level position quickly, how do you intend to get the attention of senior leadership to make that happen?
Or maybe your goal is to land a position in a new field or team before a certain age. What goals can you set to make that happen? You need a plan of action if you hope to make any progress toward that objective.
But what if your goal doesn't seem to lend itself to any realistic and achievable plan of action? If you find yourself facing that challenge, there's a good chance you're dealing with bad career goals that are setting you up for failure.
Related reading: How Career Checkups Can Help Determine if Your Career Path is Healthy
Examples of bad career goals that could be holding you back
1. Unrealistic goals
You need to make sure you're setting realistic goals – which are simply goals that you can realistically achieve if you're willing to put in the work. If your goals are so unrealistic that they simply can't be achieved in any amount of time, then you're setting yourself up for failure before you begin. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can't set big goals. Just make sure that your goal is attainable – even if it takes a decade or more.
2. "Shiny object" goals
This term is often used in Internet Marketing. It's easy to get focused on some new idea or technology because there always seems to be some new gadget or gimmick that is supposed to make your life or business easier. If you find that you're setting goals that involve some untested idea or technology, there's a good chance you're going to be stuck with a bad career goal.
To set good goals, make sure you're focused on what you want for your career. In most instances, the tried-and-true career path will always be the easiest to navigate. Don't be tempted by trendy new ideas about how to get where you want to be. When it comes to career paths, it's often better to follow the well-traveled road.
3. Goals influenced by others
Society, friends, siblings, and parents may have plenty to say about what they think you should or should not be doing with your life and career. It's important to realize that anytime anyone gives you advice about what you should be doing, it's usually some form of projection. Typically, those people are advising you to do things they wish they had done. Or maybe they've done it already and simply believe that you should follow in their footsteps. Either way, their advice is about them, not you.
The smart thing to do is to view that advice as information that can help you make informed and educated decisions – but don't let it influence your own desires. Always keep your career goals in alignment with what you want to do in your life and not what others want you to do. If your goals are unduly influenced by others, then you're almost certainly destined to fail because you won't be happy in the long run. Eventually, you'll feel like you abandoned your own dreams to pursue bad career goals.
Related reading: 7 Powerful Tips to Stay Motivated in Your Job Search
4. Bad career goals that lack a roadmap
As noted previously, goals are essential for career success. Still, you need a roadmap to take you from point A to point C. Without a roadmap, you might land somewhere in the land of B, but you won't make it to point C. If you've established an objective that's difficult to map, that's a good indication you're dealing with bad career goals.
5. Setting career goals without a timeframe
When you set career goals, you always need to establish a clear timeframe within which to complete them. This sets the stage for success as it helps light a fire under you and puts you into action mode. It also enables you to break bigger goals down into smaller milestones to meet your deadline. If you've set goals that are difficult to fit within any timeframe or schedule, chances are that they're bad career goals that need to be abandoned.
Related reading: Career Switch Considerations: What You Need to Know
6. When you feel like you're unworthy of your goals
This one should be obvious: if you don't believe that you deserve to reach your goals, whatever they might be, then you are destined to fail. Whether you want to be promoted within six months, become a board member of a non-profit in two years, or win Employee of the Month in a year, you need to know and believe that you are worthy of such things if you want to have any chance of succeeding.
If you don't believe you can do something or find it too difficult, then you're probably dealing with bad career goals. You should take the time to reassess your objectives and determine whether you still desire those goals. If not, then work on identifying new career goals that you can feel confident about pursuing.
The SMART system makes goal setting easier with improved, long-term results
Many organizations use the SMART method for setting goals at work. SMART stands for:
S = Specific: The more specific you are, the clearer your goal is. Saying that you want to be a millionaire is vague, whereas saying that you want to achieve $30K in commissions each month is specific.
M = Measurable: You need to know when you have met your career goals. When goals are measurable, the physical manifestations of your goals are obvious, as are the verbal affirmations you receive.
A = Attainable: This goes along with the previous point about your goals being realistic. If your goals aren't attainable, then you're setting yourself up to fail before you begin.
R = Relevant: If your goals aren't relevant to you and what you desire, then they'll be more difficult to achieve. Even if you do achieve them, you likely won't be happy in the long run.
T = Timely: As mentioned earlier, goals without a timeframe are difficult to achieve, so make your goals timely.
Related reading: Strategic Job Search Planning: Land Your Dream Job
Avoiding bad career goals can help keep you on the right career path
Career goals are vital for helping you move forward and achieve the success you need. By learning to identify bad career goals, you can avoid many of the most common challenges that might otherwise prevent you from advancing your career. That can help to ensure that you stay focused on the goals you need to achieve to reach your career destination!
Are you confident that you've avoided those bad career goals and simply find yourself in need of resume assistance? Take advantage of our free critique today!
This article was originally written by Ronda Suder. It was updated by Ken Chase in December 2024.