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Dave Cordle

The Blog Of Dave Cordle

The Career Mountaineer ...

How to plan your career goals and stay on track

Dave Cordle

CREATED BY DAVE CORDLE

Published: 09/07/2026 @ 09:01AM

#CareerGoals #WorkLifeBalance #CareerDirection #MonthlyReview #CareerControl

It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of work and forget to ask whether your career is actually taking you towards the life you want. Spending time each month reviewing your direction is one of the simplest ways to stay in control of your career ...

Learn how to effectively plan your career goals and stay focused on achieving them with these helpful tips and strategies

Learn how to effectively plan your career goals and stay focused on achieving them with these helpful tips and strategies

A good place to start is by revisiting your long-term career and life goals. Ask yourself whether the work you're doing today is helping you move closer to where you want to be in one, three or five years' time. If the answer is yes, you can continue with confidence.

If not, identifying small adjustments now is far easier
than trying to change course after several years!

It's also worth reviewing your ideal role regularly. Think about the skills you enjoy using most, the strengths you want to develop, and the values that matter to you. If your current role gives you opportunities to use those skills and reflects what's important to you, you're far more likely to stay motivated and engaged.

If there is a growing gap, it may be time to have a conversation with your manager or start exploring new opportunities.

Healthy boundaries deserve just as much attention as career planning. Many professionals gradually allow longer hours, constant notifications and increasing workloads to become the norm without ever questioning whether they're sustainable. Good boundaries protect your well-being, improve your focus, and leave enough energy for the people and activities that matter outside work.

Finally, remember that careers are rarely
built through one big decision!

They're shaped by many small choices made consistently over time. Every opportunity you take, every skill you develop, and every lesson you learn helps shape the direction of your career. Progress is rarely about making dramatic changes overnight.

Instead, it's built through steady, deliberate actions that move you a little closer to where you want to be.

A simple monthly check-in with yourself can help you stay aligned with your goals, your values, and the life you want to create. It gives you the chance to reflect on what's working, recognise where you've drifted off course, and make small adjustments before they become bigger challenges.

By staying intentional and making those small changes along the way, you'll give yourself the best chance of building a career that's not only successful, but genuinely fulfilling.

Until next time ...


DAVE CORDLE
Career Development Professional

07941 690 391

www.davecordle.co.uk / www.linkedin.com/in/davecordle

Everything you need for your career:  www.davecordle.co.uk/basecamp

Would you like to know more?

If anything in my blog post resonates with you and you'd like some further help and advice with your career, then why not get in touch today? Call me on 07941 690391, visit my website at davecordle.co.uk to see ways I can help and support you, or connect with me on LinkedIn and let's start a conversation.

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#CareerGoals #WorkLifeBalance #CareerDirection #MonthlyReview #CareerControl

About Dave Cordle ...

Dave Cordle 

I began my professional life training as a cartographer with the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, a department of the British government. I made maps of places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Sudan and the British Virgin Islands. It was a fascinating time, being involved in planning the flights for aerial photography, interpreting the photographs and eventually producing the plates for the different layers of the final map.

It was during my latter years as a cartographer and my career in computing that I undertook bigger mountaineering expeditions to the Andes, the Himalayas, the Tien Shan and the Caucasus. At that time I also held various leadership roles in scouting. I coached and trained young people successfully leading them to develop themselves and embrace new experiences. So that’s where my passion comes from to help young people learn the strategies for success that I share with my business and career clients.

My journey in personal professional development and coaching has been amazing, and will continue to be so: it’s why I’m here, it’s my big passion. It’s what has informed my vision and mission.

However unlikely your dream might seem, if you keep taking steps towards it, even small steps, you may well just surprise yourself.

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© 2026 by Dave Cordle

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