Repeat after me: “I will phone the travel agent now”. Too many of us are guilty of not taking time out from our work to get back on track. Whether it’s sneaking off to the café for an hour’s recharge or going on holiday, we don’t do enough of it.

Did you set personal and professional goals at the beginning of the financial year? We all get caught up in counting down to the end of the work week. But we fail to see the big picture. Then the end of the year rolls around without any real progress.

To achieve what you want, you need to step back, take a break, recharge your batteries and get yourself back on track, says Andrew Brushfield, director at Robert Half International.

To achieve what you want, you need to step back, take a break, recharge your batteries and get yourself back on track, says Andrew Brushfield, director at Robert Half International.

It’s easy. All you need is to follow these eight killer tips:

1. Schedule a break. Get your calendar out and block out time for the breaks you need. They could be hour-long slots for planning, or an entire week’s holiday.
    
2. Plan, plan, plan. The more planning you do, the easier it is to meet your objectives. Don’t forget to Write down what you're going to achieve in the next couple of weeks, months and years, says Vilianiotis. This stands for: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Run through the letters S.M.A.R.T. in your mind for each of the goals you have written down. Do they meet the criteria or could you revise them?
    
3. Have personal goals. All work and no play could make you a tad boring. Have you included your personal goals such as running a marathon, buying a rental property, or getting married? You should. Success in your personal life will rollover into your career.
    
4. Reflect, reflect, reflect. Make sure you reflect every time you take a break. That means observing and analysing your own behaviour to become more self-aware. It will help you find out why you don’t get to the gym three times a week or complete XY and Z tasks at work when you really meant to. “The more we reflect on (our goals) the more successful we become,” says Vilianiotis.
    
5. Get a coach. If you’re having trouble breaking the old models, says Vilianiotis, get a coach or mentor. A problem shared is a problem halved.
    
6. Do it now. Write down what you’re going to achieve in the next couple of weeks, months and years, says Vilianiotis.
    
7. Take regular timeout. Brushfield schedules a three-hour block of time once a month to reflect, review his goals, and plan. He turns his phone off and hits a coffee shop such as Melbourne’s Café 57 for the exercise or does it on a plane. You can’t afford not to plan, says Brushfield. Even half an hour every Friday afternoon will pay dividends for your work and career.