Wie man sich Arbeitsziele setzt [Beispiele für 2025]

Autorin: Madalina Roman

New year, new you? Every year, millions of people set goals for personal and professional growth as the calendar flips to a new year. According to a YouGov survey conducted in December 2024, 31% of adult Americans plan to set goals for 2025. What resolutions top the list? Saving more money (26%), improving physical and mental health (22% and 17%), and exercising more (22%).

Another survey by Statista reveals that 41% of Germans plan to spend more time with family and friends, 40% aim to avoid stress, and 16% intend to advance in their careers. The data shows that we tend to set the same goals year after year: to be healthy, wealthy, and happy.

However, in 2025, career objectives seem to be even more significant than in recent years. Why is that, and how can you set work goals to strengthen your position in the job market in 2025? I’m here to provide some valuable insights.

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Track your time and reach your goals with EARLY

Starte 2025 und beginne mit der Zeiterfassung, um zu erfahren, wie du deine Produktivität und dein Zeitmanagement verbessern kannst.

Was ist eine Zielvereinbarung?

Work goals, aka professional goals, are mental targets or milestones that keep you focused and give you a nudge to evolve in your career path. Work goals come in many shapes and forms, from hitting a performance target or increasing your professional network to refining your communication skills, becoming a team lead, or earning a promotion.

The most important thing to know about goals? They need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

When it comes to the length of professional goals, these can be short-term or long-term goals, depending on what you’re looking to accomplish. Short-term goals can typically be accomplished in a relatively narrow timeframe, such as a few months. Long-term objectives take longer to achieve, requiring at least six months or up to several years.

Here are two goal examples based on their length:

🎯 Short-term goal example: Expand your professional network on LinkedIn. Follow five new experts and comment on five industry-related posts each day.

🎯 Long-term goal example: Become a project manager. To accomplish that you may want to obtain your PMP certification, learn about capacity planning and project cost management, as well as gain time management skills and presentation skills (As you see, this is a larger goal that takes more time to accomplish).

Why do professional goals matter in 2025?

White-collar industries have faced significant challenges in the past two years, with layoffs and declining career opportunities in IT (-7.5%), pharmaceuticals and biotech (-7%), and media and communication (-5.8%) according to Glassdoor. Add to this the rapid rise of AI, new technologies, and sluggish hiring, and it’s clear the competition in the job market is fierce.

So, how do you navigate this? By setting clear professional goals for 2025. It’s not just about staying competitive – it’s about having a plan that keeps you focused, motivated, and moving forward. Studies show that setting specific, challenging goals can boost performance, motivation, and persistence to move your career forward.

Professional goals boost your personal growth, too:

  • They give you meaning: Meaningful career goals give you purpose and keep you motivated. Without them, it’s easy to feel lost, just going through the motions at work every day. Setting goals helps you focus on your personal values and figure out what you really want in your career.
  • They help you measure your career and track progress: Setting short-tem goals makes it easier to break down your long-term objectives into manageable steps. For example, the SMART goal method (which we’ll discuss later) is a great way to assess whether you’re on track or need to adjust your approach.
  • They help you stand out: Let’s face it – many of us have high career aspirations and often define our lives around our work. If you want to be a high performer, setting professional goals is a no-brainer. Plus, achieving your goals boosts your confidence, not just at work but in your personal life, too.

Wie man sich Arbeitsziele setzt

1. Halte inne und denke darüber nach, wo du dich auf deinem Karriereweg befindest

Stelle dir Fragen wie:

  • Was begeistert mich, und worüber möchte ich mehr erfahren?

  • Wohin möchte ich als nächstes gehen?

  • Ist es sinnvoll, sich im gleichen Bereich weiterzubilden?

  • Brauche ich eine berufliche Veränderung?

  • Was gibt mir in meiner Rolle Energie, von der ich mehr haben möchte?

  • Wovon möchte ich weniger haben?

  • In welchem Bereich meiner Arbeit möchte/muss ich mich verbessern?

  • Habe ich in meiner beruflichen Entwicklung eine Grenze erreicht?

Diese Liste kann endlos sein, aber du musst dir etwas Zeit nehmen, um innerlich zu arbeiten und herauszufinden, was wichtig ist und für dich Sinn macht.

Wiederhole dies so lange, bis du eine klare und deutliche Antwort erhältst.

2. Schreibe deine beruflichen Ziele auf

Der nächste Schritt bei der Verwirklichung beruflicher Ziele ist die Festlegung eines strukturierten Rahmens. Denke daran, dass Karriereziele sowohl persönliche als auch berufliche Ziele umfassen und zur allgemeinen Kompetenzentwicklung beitragen.

Ich werde dir zwei Methoden vorstellen, die du bei der Festlegung deiner Ziele anwenden kannst. Ich bin überzeugt, dass du schon vom SMART-Rahmen gehört hast, aber von der zweiten Methode hast du wahrscheinlich noch nichts gehört 👀.

Die SMART-Zielsetzungsmethode

Das Akronym SMART setzt sich aus den folgenden Worten zusammen:

  • Spezifisch (S) - Deine beruflichen Ziele (wie auch deine persönlichen Ziele) müssen so spezifisch, eindeutig und klar wie möglich sein. Sind es vage Wünsche? Wiederhole sie, bis sie konkrete Ziele sind.
  • Messbar (M) - Kompetenzentwicklung klingt gut, aber woher weißt du, wann du das Ziel erreicht hast? Wie misst du den Fortschritt? Wie kannst du den Erfolg messen? Stelle sicher, dass deine beruflichen Entwicklungsziele eine objektive Fortschrittskontrolle ermöglichen.
  • Erreichbar (A) - Auch wenn deine Karriereziele hoch gesteckt sind, kannst du deine Motivation aufrechterhalten, wenn du dir erreichbare Ziele mit überschaubaren Aufgaben setzt. Es gibt Menschen (wie mich), die Ziele erreichen müssen, die höchst unwahrscheinlich oder unmöglich erscheinen (BHAGS), aber darauf gehen wir später ein. 🙂
  • Relevant (R) - Steht dein intelligentes Ziel im Einklang mit deinem Berufsleben? Entspricht es der beruflichen Entwicklung, auf die du dich eingestellt hast? Deine neuen Karriereziele können durchaus mit einer neuen beruflichen Reise (auch bekannt als Karrierewechsel) übereinstimmen, aber stelle sicher, dass sie für deinen weiteren Weg relevant sind.
  • Zeitgebunden (T) - Sobald du deinen Arbeitszielen eine zeitliche Struktur gibst, bist du bereit, härter und intelligenter zu arbeiten. Ein im Voraus festgelegter Zeitrahmen hilft dir zu erkennen, ob du deine beruflichen Entwicklungsziele erreicht hast oder nicht, und ermöglicht es dir, diese bei Bedarf neu zu justieren. Die Zeitvorgabe ist auch eine Quelle der Motivation.

Die BHAG-Zielsetzungsmethode

Ich habe die BHAG-Methode in einem Workshop über Unternehmertum kennen gelernt. Wie der Name schon vermuten lässt, ist sie nicht so sicher wie die SMART-Ziele-Methode. Tatsächlich zielt sie eher auf monumentale Ergebnisse als auf messbare Ziele ab, und sie wurde für die Erreichung von Unternehmenszielen und nicht für individuelle Ziele entwickelt und meist auch angewendet.

Für mich funktioniert das, denn es hilft mir, mich auf ausreichend hohe Ziele zu konzentrieren, die mich auf Trab halten und nicht langweilen.

Tipp: Wenn du jemals ein Unternehmen gründest, solltest du die BHAG-Methode im Hinterkopf behalten - sie könnte sehr gut funktionieren.

Das "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" braucht diese fünf Eigenschaften:

  1. Inspirierend: BHAGs sind kühne Ziele, die die Grenzen deiner Organisation erweitern (über das hinaus, was normalerweise erreichbar scheint).

  2. Langfristige Ziele: Diese Ziele erstrecken sich in der Regel über Jahre und sogar Jahrzehnte (bezogen auf meinen eigenen beruflichen Wechsel brauchte ich einige Jahre, um in die neue Rolle hineinzuwachsen, und dasselbe gilt für die Ziele eines Unternehmens).

  3. Einprägsam: BHAGs müssen durchschlagend und einprägsam für alle beteiligten Akteure sein.

  4. Förderung des Teamgeistes: BHAGs fördern immer die Zusammenarbeit und Kooperation, da sie so groß sind, dass sie mehr Menschen benötigen.

  5. Förderung einer Wachstumsmentalität: In der BHAG-Philosophie ist das Scheitern ein natürlicher Teil des Prozesses, da es sonst keine Fortschritte bei den Zielen geben wird. BHAGs streben nach außergewöhnlichen Leistungen, daher ist eine starke und sich entwickelnde Denkweise sehr wichtig.

10 work goals examples for 2025

1. Verbessere deine Zeitmanagementfähigkeiten

Time management has to be one of the most important skills – not just at work but in life too. How you manage your time plays a huge role in your professional growth. Let’s face it, every project or task comes with a deadline, so there’s no getting around it. Here are some work goal examples to help you improve your time management skills:

A. Start tracking your time to learn how you spend your time throughout a day and get actionable, time-related insights on how to improve your productivity. Additionally, atime tracking app like EARLY will help you balance your workload and reduce overtime.

  • SMART goal: “Track my time for 30 days and identify 3 ways to improve my productivity.”

B. Use an automatic time-tracking app like EARLY that reflects how you’re spending your time without any effort from your side. It’s simple, accurate, and secure. Plus, you can get started 30 days for free.

  • SMART goal: “Track my time for 30 days using EARLY, aiming to identify and eliminate 2 time-wasting habits.”

C. Use time management techniques such as the Pomodoro technique into which you’re breaking tasks in manageable chunks of 25 minutes, with a 5-minute break. Another technique is timeboxing, which is frequently used in the Agile methodology.

  • SMART goal: “Complete 4 Pomodoro cycles per day for the next 2 weeks to improve focus and task completion.”

We have plenty of resources on time management to help you refine your time management skills:

2. Ein guter Kommunikator werden

Strong communication is a game-changer at any workplace. It helps you collaborate effectively, prevent misunderstandings, and build strong relationships. Whether you’re a leader or an aspiring one, investing in this skill shows you’re committed to your growth and ready to achieve results with others.

Here are some work goals examples to improve communication skills:

A. Participate in a communication skill course. In 2025, strong communication is essential, especially for thriving in remote and diverse teams. Taking a course can be a great starting point—it helps you build confidence, learn the basics, and practice key skills that make collaboration and connection easier.

  • SMART goal: “Complete a communication skills course within the next 3 months to improve my ability to work with remote teams.”

B. Practice public speaking skills. Public speaking isn’t easy for everyone, but it’s a skill that gets better with time and practice. The best way to improve is to put yourself out there and grab every chance to speak in front of others. The more you do it, the more you’ll notice your strengths and weaknesses, helping you build better communication habits and work on the ones that need improvement.

  • SMART goal: “Give one public speech or presentation each month for the next 6 months to improve my speaking skills.”

3. Pick up leadership skills

Leadership isn’t something you learn overnight – it’s built through experience and practice. Whether you’re already in a management position or aiming for one, strengthening these skills will help you lead with confidence and drive success.

Here are a couple of leadership development goals.

A. Expose yourself in small doses to coordinate a team, project, or event. Start by taking on manageable responsibilities that allow you to practice leadership and decision-making without feeling overwhelmed. This short-term goal will help you build confidence and gain experience in managing people and tasks, gradually preparing you for larger leadership roles in the future.

  • SMART goal: “Lead a small project in the next 2 months to build leadership skills.”

B. Build your theoretical foundation. Any leader will admit that being a leader is not easy. To prepare for this role, start by reading books and exploring leadership podcasts and YouTube videos. Follow leaders on LinkedIn to learn from their insights and experiences before stepping into a leadership role yourself.

SMART goal: “Read a book on team management and listen to 2 leadership podcasts in the next 30 days.”

4. Improve your leadership skills

The difference between a boss and a leader lies in how they approach their team. A leader guides and supports their team to reach their potential, while a boss tends to give orders and expect compliance. Leaders inspire trust, encourage collaboration, and focus on helping their team grow. Here are a couple of examples of how to do it right.

A. Learn how to share constructive feedback. Providing constructive feedback is one of the communication skills that any leader needs. If you are leading a small or big team, add feedback techniques to your “to-learn” list this year.

  • SMART goal: “Give feedback to 3 team members each month for the next 6 months.”

B. Learn how to motivate your team. Making team motivation a priority for 2025 is a smart move. With remote and diverse teams becoming more common, keeping morale high is crucial for staying connected and engaged. When employees are motivated, they’re more likely to take initiative, work well together, and create a positive work environment – all of which are key to hitting long-term goals.

  • SMART goal: “Try one new way to motivate the team each month for the next 4 months.”

C. Learn how to delegate tasks. Many managers hesitate to delegate due to fears of losing control or appearing less dedicated, but trusting your team with important responsibilities can actually improve efficiency and growth. By delegating, you can focus on strategic goals, empower your team, and help them develop the skills needed for future leadership roles.

  • SMART goal: “Delegate one task to a team member each week for the next 2 months.”

Recommended: How to be a good leader

5. Work on your work-life balance

Society often praises the hustle, making it seem like work should come first. But this mindset can lead to burnout and affect your well-being. In 2025, focus on balancing your career advancement goals with personal time, finding a way to make both work together.

A. Add regular breaks to your daily schedule. Set a timer at every 50 minutes of work to have a 10-minute break. Being glued to your computer all day long won’t contribute more to job satisfaction, but it can mess up your overall well-being and performance.

Tip: I used a free app called Tadama to help me with this. It’s great, I’m telling you!

B. Mache keine Überstunden. Verlasse die Arbeit jeden Tag um 17 Uhr für das nächste Quartal oder sogar für die nächsten 6 Monate. Diese unerwarteten Herausforderungen können bis morgen warten. Um die Arbeitszeit zu erfassen und die Überstunden in Schach zu halten, verwende den Überstunden-Tracker.

6. Get better at daily task management

With looming deadlines, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and under pressure, especially when tasks aren’t completed on time. Improving your task completion rate can greatly enhance your well-being at work. Here are some examples of work goals for effective task management.

A. Improve task prioritisation. Read an article on how to prioritize tasks and learn how to prioritize tasks to avoid repeating the cycle of dragging tasks from one day to another.

  • SMART goal example: “Read one article on task prioritization by the end of this week, and apply at least one technique to prioritize tasks effectively for the next 5 weeks.

B. Get better at time estimation. Time estimation is all about figuring out how long a project or task will take. It helps managers plan and allocate resources better. The more you understand the work’s details and challenges, the more accurate your estimates will be. The best part? You can improve your time estimation skills with practice.

  • SMART goal example: “Estimate the time for three tasks this week and compare with the actual time spent.”

Recommended: Read about Warren Buffet’s 5/25 rule that helps to prioritize tasks.

7. Master your craft (career progression)

In 2025, picking up new skills is essential to stay competitive in a job market impacted by layoffs and AI advancements. Learning skills like AI, data analysis, or project management can open new opportunities, boost motivation, and help you adapt to emerging trends, ensuring both career growth and personal development.

A. Enroll in a 3-month training program that enhances your job-specific skills.

B. Enroll in a 1-year certification program to develop your skill set and take it to the next level.

7. Erlerne neue Fähigkeiten

Kontinuierliches Lernen kann dir in allen Bereichen deiner Arbeit einen Vorteil verschaffen. Du weißt nicht, worum es bei dem nächsten Projekt gehen wird, also erweitere deine Fähigkeiten. Setze dir Ziele, um neue Fähigkeiten zu erlernen:

A. Set a call with a colleague from another department to learn what their job entails.

B. Go to a 6-month workshop on something different than your current job responsibilities but maybe complementary.

9. Vordenker in deiner Nische werden

Want to stand out in 2025? Becoming a thought leader in your niche is the way to go. It builds your credibility, attracts new opportunities, and connects you with others who value your expertise. By sharing insights and pushing boundaries, you’ll grow your network and establish yourself as a go-to resource in your field.

Hier sind Beispiele dafür, wie man ein Vordenker werden kann:

A. Share your knowledge on social media. Share your knowledge on social media to establish yourself as a trusted voice in your field. By posting insights, tips, and industry trends, you’ll engage your audience, expand your network, and boost your credibility—all while building your personal brand.

  • SMART goal example: “Over the next 6 months, write and publish one blog or LinkedIn post per week”

B. Host a webinar series. Host a webinar series to showcase your expertise, invite guests, engage with your audience, and increase your visibility in your industry.

  • SMART goal example: “Over the next 6 months, host monthly webinars on industry trends and share key insights on LinkedIn.”

10. Pflege der Beziehungen zu den Mitarbeitern

When you connect with coworkers, it’s easier to collaborate, solve problems together, and share knowledge. These relationships can lead to better teamwork, smoother communication, and even more career opportunities. Plus, having a trusted group of people around you makes the workday feel less stressful and more enjoyable.

Here are some work goal examples to help you foster better relationships at work:

A. This month, set a (virtual or in-person) coffee call with a team member you feel you haven’t talked to in ages or you would need to have a closer relationship.

B. Set a reminder to consistently (every month) check in with different colleagues you’d like/need to nurture a better relationship with or offer mentorship for a few months.

Beispiele von Arbeitszielen unseres Teams

Aufsteigen in ihrer Karriere

This year, my professional goal is to improve my technical SEO skills and delve into the nitty-gritty of tools like Google Search Console. As a content manager, I’ve spent many years on the creative side of SEO – writing content, creating strategies, and developing briefs. As my role has evolved, I feel the urge to dive into the technical aspects now. – Karolina Matyska, Senior Content Manager @EARLY

Eine neue Karriere anstreben

Nach einigen Jahren im Vertrieb verspürte ich das Bedürfnis, einen anderen beruflichen Weg einzuschlagen: Ich wollte Texterin werden. Die Rolle des Verkäufers entsprach nicht mehr meinen Bedürfnissen, also begann ich, mich innerhalb des Unternehmens umzuorientieren, da es im Team einen Bedarf für diese Rolle gab.

At the time, I made up a plan with my manager, decided the objectives to achieve in a few months, and I (luckily) received a great and skilled mentor to help me grow into the new role. The most important aspect of this challenge was to pass on my transferable skills from sales, and not only to my new role. – Madalina Roman, Copywriter @EARLY

Wähle beruflichen Ziele und deinen Weg

Ich hoffe, die Informationen über die Festlegung von Arbeitszielen und die Beispiele für berufliche Ziele haben dir geholfen, diesen Prozess zu entwirren. Es ist nicht einfach, sich neue Fähigkeiten anzueignen, während du deine aktuelle Arbeit bewältigst und dich auf zukünftige Möglichkeiten vorbereiten, aber es ist erfüllend. Noch befriedigender ist es, wenn du die für dich richtigen Ziele bewusst wählst, die auch zu deiner Work-Life-Balance beitragen.