Is there an area in your life you wish to improve upon or job skills you wish to enhance? Most of us can think of at least one or two things. If you can’t, congratulations, you are perfect! For the rest of us, setting goals (and making sure we achieve them) is vital for not only personal growth but for professional growth as well. Goals are what help us move forward, grow and improve as an individual. We should be thinking of our goals and detailing things we want to improve.
Here are a couple reasons why it is especially important for court reporters to set and achieve goals.
- You do not have a boss. Well, most of you don’t anyway; at least not in the traditional sense. As a freelance professional, there is flexibility with your work and schedule. There are a plethora of certifications to take and organizations to join that can help you network and grow your career. Do you want to make more money? If so, become realtime certified so you can obtain those higher paying jobs. Do you want to network? Join the NCRA or your state’s Court Reporters Association so you can attend conventions and seminars to meet new people and learn important information about the industry. As a freelance professional, it is very important to be ambitious and set goals for yourself to advance your career.
- Goals allow you to measure progress. It is hard to see how far you’ve come and how far you still have left to go without keeping track. Setting goals will give yourself deadlines and allow you to see how much progress you’ve made. If you told yourself you wanted to attend a state, or the NCRA annual convention last year and you did not, that is a pretty good indication that you should plan a little harder and give yourself the resources to do it. Did you want to pass the CRR exam by your third try and you didn’t pass it the first go-around? That’s okay! According to your goals, you still have two chances! Stay optimistic and keep working towards that goal. You will most likely pass the second time!
- Goals keep you from procrastinating. One of the most important things about setting a goal and deadline is that it keeps you accountable to that task. As a freelancer, you are lucky enough not to work a “9 to 5” job. On the other hand, you are not in an office under the microscope of an employer making sure you get your work done. Setting goals like finishing transcripts early for a cut off, cleaning up your dictionary, and backing up your work will help you stay productive and organized.
No matter how big or small, setting goals and holding yourself accountable to achieve them is vitally important. This is especially true for court reporters and other freelance professionals who do not work “9-5” or report to a supervisor. Set goals and give yourself deadlines to make sure you accomplish as much as you can in a given time frame.