Stumbling block or stepping-stone, how do you view last years failures? Take ownership and personal responsibility for any career derailments. Pack your own parachute instead of leaving your success to others; that was the thrust of Part One of this series. Perform root-cause analysis of why certain goals were not met and identify patterns that caused the derailments. Keep in mind though, the block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.

If you want to route your career toward something noteworthy on a tombstone marker at the end of your professional career, you must now, during your vibrancy, pinpoint and relentlessly pursue the things that professionally, matter most to you. Focus on these alone. Set monthly accountability measurements and milestones to ensure you stay on track.

These next steps are the Phase Two components to turn your New Year resolutions into a revolution that return you to the drivers seat where you will, without regrets, command the course of your career:

During part one / phase one of this series, you culled the top five things that professionally, matter most to you and you regrettably, didnt achieve. Now that these are standalones, youll take it to the next level with a new compass, bullet-proof gear and tactical blueprint to retrofit your next job search, career direction, or business initiative:

Create a one-sentence statement next to each of the five items, the action needed by you to convert loss of accomplishment into a winning feat. Use a different-colored font or ink to demarcate the statement of action from the item.

Now here comes the gut-wrenching, no-holds-barred introspectionthe really hard stuff to get alter your course. Ask yourself:

Can any of these things that matter most to you and you want to achieve this New Year be accomplished while remaining at your current place of employment. If not, write down, why not? What are the reasons (other than money) that cause you to remain in a work environment that stymies your creative ability to solve problems, contribute meaningfully, or expand professionally?

Can any of these top five things be accomplished if there were no human interference? Why are you remaining in a division, department or unit staffed with persons that that do not have your best interests in mind during day-to-day activities?

Can any of these things that matter most to you and that you want to accomplish in your career these next 12 months be achieved if you raise your competency? What are the reasons (other than money) that cause you to delay gaining the requisite experience and industry-niched knowledge?

The longer you wait to move forward, the longer the list becomes that moves you backwards. Heres an aggressive blueprint thatll fast-track your plans, marketability and success. Proceed with caution and deploy only if youre willing to allow yourself to succeed, no matter what the barrier:

Dont cave at first sign of resistance. Persevere. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.
Refuse to adopt failure as an option. Use failure as a tool to filter options.
Seek professional intervention for structure, organizational planning and accountability.
Set doable and measurable milestones.
Make it work (the thing you want done) or get it out of your system and move on.

The power to navigate the direction of your career is more in your hands to control than you are willing to admit. This being true, you have to ask yourself today, not tomorrow, why you are so reluctant to make the time and requisite sacrifices to chart a new course? Fear of the unknown is always overcome with strategic planning and a personal accountability that refuses to blame others for lack of success. Youll land where you set your course. Every time.