--- description: Have a long-term dream and a short-term plan. title: Sheryl Sandberg: These Are the Only 2 Career Goals You Need image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt344a3c0168780903/698875750b72e388e26e7476/sheryl-sandberg-facebook-lean-in.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Sheryl Sandberg: These Are the Only 2 Career Goals You Need by [Quora](/author/quora/) ## Quora Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:59 PM CUTPublished: Dec 15, 2015 7:37 PM CUT  Sheryl Sandberg at the Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2015. Sheryl Sandberg at the Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2015.Kimberly White—Getty Images for Fortune by [Quora](/author/quora/) ## Quora Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:59 PM CUTPublished: Dec 15, 2015 7:37 PM CUT [_Answer_](https://www.quora.com/What-would-you-tell-your-younger-self-when-you-were-just-starting-out/answer/Sheryl-Sandberg "undefined")_by_ [_Sheryl Sandberg_](https://www.quora.com/profile/Sheryl-Sandberg "undefined")_, COO at Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org_ _,_ _on_ [_Quora_](http://www.quora.com/ "undefined")_._ **Fin** **d** **work you love.** When you believe in what you are doing, you can combine passion with contribution – and that is a true gift. Keep trying and you will find what you love to do… and once you do, you will crush it. **Believe you can do anything.** This is important for everyone and especially for women. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t have both a meaningful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. When you hear someone say you can’t do something, know that you can and start figuring out how. Ask yourself, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?” **There is no straight path to where you are going.** If you try to draw that line you will not just get it wrong, but you will miss big opportunities. As Pattie Sellers of _Fortune_ Magazine says, careers are not ladders but jungle gyms. You don’t have to have it all figured out. I recommend adopting two concurrent goals: 1. A long-term dream: It doesn’t have to be realistic or even specific. For example, you might say you want to work in a specific field, travel the world, have more free time. Even a vague goal can provide direction. 2. An 18-month plan: Set personal goals for what you want to learn in the next year and a half. Ask yourself how you can improve and what you’re afraid to do (that’s usually the thing you should try). _This question originally appeared on_ [_Quora: Sheryl Sandberg: What would you tell your younger self when you were just starting out?_](https://www.quora.com/What-would-you-tell-your-younger-self-when-you-were-just-starting-out "undefined") _More from Quora:_ * [Sheryl Sandberg’s answer to What should men do (and not do) to support the growth of women in tech?](https://www.quora.com/What-should-men-do-and-not-do-to-support-the-growth-of-women-in-tech-2/answer/Sheryl-Sandberg "undefined") * [Sheryl Sandberg’s answer to What is your secret weapon for creating a great company culture across several locations with distant timezones?](https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-secret-weapon-for-creating-a-great-company-culture-across-several-locations-with-distant-timezones/answer/Sheryl-Sandberg "undefined") * [Sheryl Sandberg’s answer to How do you keep yourself motivated?](https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-keep-yourself-motivated-2/answer/Sheryl-Sandberg "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4150083/sheryl-sandberg-career-advice/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4150083/sheryl-sandberg-career-advice/"},"headline":"Sheryl Sandberg: These Are the Only 2 Career Goals You Need","datePublished":"2015-12-15T19:37:28.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T21:59:14.000Z","description":"Have a long-term dream and a short-term plan","url":"https://time.com/4150083/sheryl-sandberg-career-advice/","keywords":["women","Sheryl Sandberg","Business topic","advice","career"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt344a3c0168780903/698875750b72e388e26e7476/sheryl-sandberg-facebook-lean-in.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Quora","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/quora/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt344a3c0168780903/698875750b72e388e26e7476/sheryl-sandberg-facebook-lean-in.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sheryl Sandberg at the Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2015.","caption":"Sheryl Sandberg at the Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2015.","creditText":"Kimberly White—Getty Images for Fortune","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4150083/sheryl-sandberg-career-advice/","name":"Sheryl Sandberg: These Are the Only 2 Career Goals You Need"}}]}] ```