We all want to grow in our careers; after all, no one wants to be stuck in the same job for years and years. But in order to achieve any type of professional success, we must continually push ourselves and develop our skills. How do we do that? Set goals. Consider these goal-setting strategies.

Define what success means to you

There’s no one clear definition of success; in fact, it can, and will, look completely different from person to person. So if you want to achieve it, you need to decide what it means for you. Do you want to move up the corporate ladder at your current company? Do you want to eventually start your own business? Do you want to retire young? Whatever the case may be, it’s important for you to know what you want out of your professional career so you can set short- and long-terms goals that will help you achieve that ultimate vision. If you don’t know where you’re going, your journey will only be that much more difficult.

Create a path to your goals

Once you’ve defined success, you’ll want to establish the steps that will enable you to reach your professional goals. After all, you can’t simply become a CEO, doctor, or business owner overnight. You must work your way up to it with both short- and long-term goals. Start with your long-term goals, which are ones that may take a few months or even years to achieve. For example, if your ultimate goal is to become a doctor, you may need to aim to do well on the MCAT first or get accepted into a great medical school. Once you have those in place, establish your short-term goals, or daily, weekly, and monthly actions you can take. Whether it’s showing up to class five minutes early every morning, consistently taking on more responsibilities at work, or researching topics related to an industry you’re trying to break into, these smaller goals can go a long way in helping you to achieve your ultimate long-term goal.

Push yourself, but be realistic

Accomplishing your goals should require effort and take time, as you should be setting high expectations for yourself and being ambitious with your dreams. However, it’s important that your goals are also achievable. If you’re trained and educated in finances, for example, it may not be realistic for you to have a goal of becoming an ER doctor. While it’s of course never too late to go back to school, such a massive career jump comes with a much longer list of essential steps and requires skills you may have difficulty learning. Instead, it might make more sense to start your own firm or work your way up the corporate ladder. Whichever direction you go, just make sure you have a clear understanding of what steps you need to take and what you need to achieve them.

Don’t be afraid of change

As with anything in life, you may face a lot of uncertainties in your professional career. Your current company could close, your position could change, or your dreams and goals could be forced to shift five years into your plan. No matter what happens, it’s important to be flexible and not afraid of professional change. Perhaps a career shift is just what you needed. Your path to success may not always be clear, so try to be open to new possibilities and comfortable with going in a different direction should you need it.

Success is often hard earned, but it should never be impossible. Setting goals for yourself is a simple yet effective way to reach your professional dreams.