當今世界上事事瞬息萬變，每個人都要有明確的目標。目標可以相對靈活，但心中應該有個大致規劃，然后根據家庭和工作的具體情況相應調整。一般來說，每個人的奮斗目標每年都有變動。所以，多花點時間看看腳下的路對不對很重要。如果你自己不用心掌握，很可能就會跟著別人走。職業道路上還是要親手把握航向。

制定五年計劃要考慮以下三個要點。

找好目標

如果前進的方向沒弄清楚，就不知道在為什么努力。想一想目標是什么，設想一年、三年和五年后的生活，你希望到時在做什么工作，哪些突出的技能和個性能讓你脫穎而出？女性尤其喜歡保持低調。她們往往更看重工作的結果，專心完成任務，不常花時間考慮未來發展。

辨明路徑

一旦確定了目標，就要想清楚怎樣去實現。為了達成所想你會采取哪些行動？大多數企業都會設定五年計劃，個人也需要合理規劃。如果你打算長期留在一家企業，制定個人的五年計劃時參考一下公司的規劃也未嘗不可。

規劃職業發展時有幾個關鍵問題一定要考慮：為了進步需不需要在某個領域或者多個領域積累經驗？平級換崗到另一個部門會不會有助于達到目標？需不需要上夜校或者周末進修，或是參加公司內部培訓？想不想去商學院攻讀工商管理碩士學位？弄明白最終目標、相應策略以及為了實現理想要采取的行動，一步一步寫下實現目標的計劃，隨時記錄進展。

借助人脈

有時人們想不起來發展盟友、拜會導師和尋找支持者，其實與這些人保持良好關系在職場上大有裨益。首先要明確哪些人最能幫你達到目標，日常工作中與他們維持關系要成為重要內容。如果不認識關鍵人物，就去找人引薦。不妨考慮專業人士的圈子或者內部員工的組織，正式還是非正式組織不重要，先參與進去再說。多與重要人士交流，你會對公司和行業的理解會大為加深，今后拓展重要的人脈也會順利得多。

制定長期職業規劃的還有一個原因：你跟上司交流時多了談資。領導會發覺你有遠見，認為你是公司或機構里力求上進的員工。領導能這么看你很關鍵，年度業績評估自然不用擔心，長期看前途一片光明才是更重要的。（財富中文網）

審校：夏林

譯者：Pessy

These days, everything moves so fast that you need to have established goals. They can be flexible, but you should have a general end game in mind. And every year, you should make adjustments to each goal to account for changes at home and on the job. Everyone’s vision of success tends to morph from year to year. So it’s really important to take the time to make sure the road you’re on is still the right one. If you’re not driving, after all, someone else might drive for you. You need to be behind the wheel of your own career.

Having a five-year plan requires some reflection on three key things:

Purpose

If you don’t know where you’re going, then you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish. Think about your purpose. When you envision your life in one year, three years, and five years, what would you like to be doing in your career? What unique skills and traits do you have that will differentiate you? Women, in particular, keep their heads down. They tend to be more task-oriented and just focus on getting things done, rather than investing the necessary time to think about what’s on the horizon.

Path

Once you determine your purpose, you need to figure out how you’re going to get there. What are the actions you’ll take to reach your goal? Most businesses have a five-year plan. People need to plan just like organizations do. You might even want to align your five-year plan with your company’s long-term goals if you envision staying with the same employer.

To help chart your path, consider some key questions: Do you need to get more experience in a certain area, or multiple areas, in order to advance? Would a lateral move to another department in your company help you reach your goal? Do you need to take some evening or weekend classes or receive internal training? Do you want to go to business school to earn an MBA? Think about the end goal, your strategy, and the actions you have to take and write a step-by-step plan to get there and chart your progress.

People

Sometimes people fail to think about developing allies, mentors, and advocates who can propel them toward the next step in their careers. Identify who the critical people are between you and your goal, and include them in part of your day-to-day working plan. And if you don’t know these critical people, seek out introductions. Consider professional networks or internal employee groups—either formal or informal—you may want to join. They will provide insights so you have a better grasp on your company and industry, and will also help you make critical connections.

One important reason for developing a long-term career plan: It gives you something to talk about with your boss. You’ll be considered forward-thinking and as someone who wants to progress at your company or organization—not just in the next year tied to your annual review, but over the long haul.