At SheJumps, we are thankful for like-minded organizations and people such as Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition. OIWC's goal is to "connect women in the outdoor industries to help them grow professionally." Our friend, Amy Luther, and OIWC's director of membership and development programs, wrote this recent blog for OIWC's website. We think it's smart to have a "SMART plan" (see below). (And just an FYI, SheJumps was nominated once for the OIWC's Snowsports Pioneering Women award, and we were lucky to win. If you know a female taking the reigns in the snowsports world, go to OIWC's website and nominate her!)

You've thought long and hard. You know what you want to do. But now what? How do you make your dream a reality? As Stephen R. Covey says in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "Begin with the end in mind."

With the end in mind, you can start planning how to get there. You would do this if you were driving somewhere, so why not do it for your career. Since a career goal is not on any map, you will need to do a couple of things. First, determine your destination and, second, set some milestone goals. To increase your chances for success, your goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

SMART goals will help you develop a plan that is realistic and achievable. And, as you create these goals, be as detailed as you can. This will enable you to clearly understand how you are doing as you work towards your end goal.

Not only are SMART goals important, but so is timing. Make sure you check on your progress at regular intervals and consider: How close are you to achieving your goal? What is helping you be successful? What is getting in your way?

There is nothing that says you have to stay true to your original plan. As you evaluate your progress, consider making adjustments based on what you have accomplished – or not accomplished – so far. Did you set your goal too high? Will it be difficult or impossible to achieve? Did you learn something that changed your mind about what you thought you wanted? Is there now something else that you would rather do?

Don't be afraid to change direction. Use your knowledge and experiences – as well as the knowledge and experience of others – to shape your goals and your career path.

Let us know what you have found most useful in planning your career path. What worked for you? What didn't work? Where did you find inspiration? Share your thoughts…