Blueprint for Success: How Proper Goal Setting Keeps Your Career Charged
By Frank — Master electrician. 30 years in the trades. Teaches you to fix it yourself. ·
Why Setting Goals Is Like Wiring a Panel
I’ve been in this trade for 30 years now. I’ve seen guys come onto a job site with all the ambition in the world, only to burn out before they even finish their apprenticeship. It isn’t usually because they weren’t smart enough or couldn’t handle the work. It’s because they were just wandering around the site waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. They didn’t have a plan.
Think about it: if I walked into a rough-in without a print or a clear idea of where the circuits needed to go, I’d be wasting wire, time, and everyone’s patience. Goal setting is the same thing. It’s your blueprint. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re just going to end up chasing your tail until you’re exhausted. Whether you’re trying to get your journeyman license, start your own crew, or just get faster at bending conduit, you need a target.
Break It Down: From Big Picture to Daily Tasks
Karen, my wife—she’s a school nurse, so she’s got a lot more patience for ‘big picture’ stuff than I usually do—is always telling me that you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. Same goes for your career.
I see a lot of young guys set a goal like, “I want to be a master electrician.” That’s a great goal, but it’s too vague. That’s like saying, “I want to build a house,” without knowing where the foundation goes. You have to break that down into small, actionable steps.
Instead, make your goals specific. If you’re an apprentice, your goal for the next six months shouldn’t just be 'get better.' It should be: 'Master the NEC code sections on grounding and bonding,' or 'Get 500 hours of commercial experience.' When you break a massive, intimidating mountain into small, manageable rocks, you stop feeling overwhelmed and start seeing progress.
The “Frank” Method: Keeping It Realistic
I’m 52. I’ve got a crew of four guys, a house in the same neighborhood I grew up in, and a son in the Army who’s got bigger fish to fry than my mid-life crises. I know that life happens. Sometimes a panel is way worse than the customer described, or a supply house messes up a delivery. If your goals are too rigid, you’ll break the second things go sideways.
My advice? Keep your goals flexible. I call it the '90% Rule.' Aim to hit 90% of your daily objectives. If you hit 100%, great. If you hit 80% because you had to troubleshoot an emergency service call for a client, don’t beat yourself up. You’re doing the work. Just make sure those daily goals align with your monthly ones, and those monthly ones align with your career milestones. If you’re not moving forward, you’re sliding backward. There is no standing still in this industry.
Write It Down or It Doesn’t Exist
I’ve got a little notebook in my back pocket. I’ve had one since I was a kid. If it isn’t written down, it’s just a thought, and thoughts are cheap. When you put pen to paper—or stylus to tablet, if you’re one of those tech-savvy types—you’re making a commitment to yourself.
Every Sunday night, while the house is quiet and I’m having a cup of coffee, I write down what I want to accomplish for the week. It’s simple stuff: 'Finish the rough-in on the Oak Street project,' 'Check in with Danny,' or 'Review the new code updates.' When you check those boxes off, it feels good. It builds momentum. That momentum is what keeps you going when the weather is brutal and you’ve been crawling through a crawlspace for three hours.
Don't Forget to Look Back
One thing I’ve learned over three decades is that we’re usually our own harshest critics. We focus so much on the job we haven’t finished that we forget about the thousands of feet of wire we’ve pulled, the hundreds of panels we’ve energized, and the apprentices we’ve helped grow into pros.
Every six months, take a minute to look at what you’ve actually done. Did you learn a new skill? Did you handle a difficult client better than you would have a year ago? Give yourself credit. It’s not about bragging; it’s about acknowledging that you’re moving in the right direction. It keeps your head in the game.
You’re the Project Manager of Your Own Life
At the end of the day, no one is going to come along and build your career for you. You’re the project manager. You’re the lead electrician on the job site of your own life. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the hands, and you’ve got the capacity to learn. All you need is a plan and the discipline to stick to it.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Set a goal, break it into steps, write it down, and start working. And remember, it’s okay to ask for help. Even after 28 years of being licensed, I’m still learning things from my own crew. That’s the beauty of this trade—there’s always something new to master.
So, what’s on your list for the rest of the year? Are you looking to level up your certifications, or maybe you’re thinking about running your own truck? Drop me a line below and let’s talk it through. I’m always happy to help a brother out.
Stay safe out there, and keep your connections tight.
— Frank