Happy New Year. Welcome to 2019. Traditionally when setting our goals for the year, we think of our personal life. However, it is also the ideal time to think of professional development and goals.

What does that mean for you? Do you have big plans for the year ahead? What would you like to change this year?

Where to start

It can be difficult to identify the right goals. Here are three great places to start�

Go over recent CPD resources. What satisfied your professional development needs and what didn't?
Think about your last work appraisals. Reflect on what was brought to your attention and how you can action areas of improvement.
Look at your current job description. Think about what you want to achieve but also what you've neglected.

Compile these thoughts to ensure a strong plan of action, making sure your professional goals are reached.

Defining your goals

Defining your goals will help you be more focused. Some ideas are:

GOAL	DEFINING YOUR GOAL
Greater responsibility in your job	Can you see yourself taking on more tasks? Perhaps leading your own project, or team? Maybe there is a role outside your current department you are interested in taking on?
Learn about new technologies affecting my job	Technology is changing our profession. More and more work is becoming automated. What do you need to do to stay ahead of the curve?
Develop new professional skills	Time to start thinking about learning new management, communication or networking skills? Improvements in the workplace could benefit you and those you work with.
Get promoted	Hitting the next mark is on most of our minds. Are you preparing yourself for the new challenges and responsibility of a new position?
Plan succession	If you�re planning on moving on from your role, organisation, or a project, are you training those staying on to take over your responsibilities?
Become an expert in an area	Do you want to refine your knowledge in a particular area or subject of interest?

Getting Started

CPD is easy to put off until the last minute. But good professional development comes from knowing what changes you need to make and making them. Use CPD to reflect on your career as well as move forward in it.

When thinking about your CPD, follow these simple rules:

Plan early
Think about your broader skills and knowledge as well as the technical updates
Be prepared to change your plan during the year to address any issues that arise

How can accountingcpd help you achieve your CPD goals?

Accountingcpd believes that CPD is important for all professionals and we have set up our own 2019 CPD resolutions.

Help professionals achieve their career goals
Persuade more professionals to plan their CPD early, spread it across the year and not leave it till the last moment