{"id":8882,"date":"2026-05-21T09:04:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/?p=8882"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:46:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:46:46","slug":"achieve-your-goals-in-small-steps-not-giant-leaps-like-nasa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/?p=8882","title":{"rendered":"Achieve your goals in small steps, not giant leaps \u2013 like NASA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar<\/a>

Solar eclipse of the Moon, with Venus on the left. Image credit: NASA<\/p><\/div>\n

The inspiring Artemis II mission tested the Orion spacecraft for future lunar landings. It shows ambitious goals are achieved by breaking the task into achievable, realistic steps. Apply this NASA principle to your goals. Review your goals in three minutes<\/a> and generate your instant personalised \u2018Actions towards goals\u2019 checklist. Then work out your next steps with the Navigate Your Future<\/a> structured activity pathway.<\/p>\n

Plan smartly and you can reach the Moon<\/h2>\n

Be ambitious but realistic with your career plans. NASA\u2019s plan to send humans to the Moon in 2028 and Mars in the 2030s is ambitious but grounded, and crucially, incremental. Develop your own \u2018mission plan\u2019 using the OU\u2019s Your Career Planning Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a>

Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch looks back at Earth. Image credit: NASA<\/p><\/div>\n

Take test flights<\/h2>\n

NASA would like to take humans to Mars one day but focusing on the Moon in the meantime develops the right technologies and experience. The crewed flyby of the Moon in the Orion spacecraft was a test flight towards bigger things. Build your work experience<\/a> is a step-by-step, structured tool to equip you to take \u2018test flights\u2019 towards your greater goals.<\/p>\n

Document your achievements<\/h2>\n

The incredible images captured by the Artemis II mission not only inspired us, but tested for NASA\u2019s technology and capabilities and raised new questions about the Moon\u2019s geological history. It is useful to develop a habit of self-assessment<\/a> to recognise your achievements<\/a> and identify your skills<\/a>. Cultivate a growth mindset<\/a> to embrace challenges and allow growth and innovation.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Orion spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific. Image credit: NASA\/Bill Ingalls<\/p><\/div>\n

Prepare for a crash landing<\/h2>\n

Artemis II didn\u2019t really \u2018crash land\u2019 back to earth; it was a carefully planned sequence of manoeuvres to splashdown in the ocean. I\u2019m sure it was probably a bit bumpy though.<\/p>\n

Learn how to navigate career roadblocks<\/a> and bounce back from any crash landings you might experience. It\u2019ll teach you how to adapt to change in the future.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Jack Renshaw is a Development Coordinator with OU Careers and Employability Services. He just wanted an excuse to look at pictures of the moon. Explore the rest of our blog for more articles from the Careers and Employability Services team.<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The inspiring Artemis II mission tested the Orion spacecraft for future lunar landings. It shows ambitious goals are achieved by breaking the task into achievable, realistic steps. Apply this NASA principle to your goals. Review your goals in three minutes and generate your instant personalised \u2018Actions towards goals\u2019 checklist. Then work out your next steps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-career-planning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8882"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8903,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8882\/revisions\/8903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}