I recently spoke with a talented developer friend of mine. She works for one of the top tech companies in the world and is quite skilled at her job. But she feels very challenged by the pressure of succeeding in a highly competitive environment. There is a constant push from her boss and the company to do what's right for the company.

Her focus and energy is spent, but she wants to have a family one day. She wants to make sure she doesn't completely lose her self in her work. Her words: "Ryan, work is important, but it can't be the only thing that defines me. I have a deep need to be successful, but at what cost?"

My reply: "You can be both successful and have a life, but you need to declare your goals." Otherwise, you'll end up helping other people achieve their dreams. That doesn't mean that there isn't a compromise to make your goals a reality (we all need to get paid), but you can't allow it to be a one way street.

Write It Down

Just as companies set vision statements and clear objectives, you too must be focused on what you want to accomplish and declare your intentions to the world. If you want a family or want to spend more time traveling and less time in front of a computer, make that known to the world. Whatever your objective, make sure you define it.

Here are some ideas on how to declare your intentions to the world:

Write it down in a diary
Create a vision board
Share your goals with your boss (be careful)