Have you ever had a goal that you wanted to pursue but just
felt like you didn’t have enough resources to accomplish it or get things up
and running to get it done? What
about the calling or purpose in your life that you’ve been passionate about for
a while but you felt like no one would support you or that you weren’t educated
enough to walk into that season of helping yourself in life as well as
others? Or have you thought
about going back to school but have made up every excuse possible for the
reasons that you can’t. Fret not
friends, I’ve experienced those same negative thoughts myself at one point of
time in my life.
In order to see positive changes happen in your life, you
must shift your negative thinking because it produces negative thoughts that
produces negative outcomes in and around your life. I had the pleasure of attending a training this week and the
focus was on goal setting as it relates to your education and career. In this platform today, I want you to
use three-year and five-year goal setting plans for both. Once you navigate through your plans,
this road map as you WRITE down your
goals, will answer those questions in the above paragraph. (Refer to the scripture Habakkuk 2:2-3)
Write down your goals in a journal, on a vision board, or on
some type of paper where you can place this information around you daily as a
reminder to stay focused on your goals, while achieving them. For example, I have the remaining
schedule for my undergrad courses posted on my desk at work, in my homework folder
as well as on my bulletin board at home.
I check off each time I enroll in a new class and it visually shows me
the remaining classes I have left in order to graduate. I get a kick out of highlighting a new
class. It’s a symbolic reminder to
me that I am staying focused on my educational goals and I’m closer to
graduating and moving onto a Master’s program. I would also suggest doing separate goal setting or goal
planning for each of the following: your career, educational or personal
goals. That way, you can SEE your blueprint for each of your
goals, and the direction you want them to go in. While writing your goals, think about answering the
following questions and/or suggestions to list in your journal entry:
- What are my short and long-term goals?
- What sacrifices will you make to accomplish your goal(s)?
- What are the key steps to accomplishing your goals? Be specific.
- List any resources, mentors, collaborations, etc. that can also help you achieve your goal(s).
- Give yourself a deadline to finish your goal(s).
- Sign your name at the end of writing out your goal planning. This is confirming your acknowledgment and approval of your goal(s).
- Don’t be afraid to revise your goals as you meet them.
These questions are helpful to give you a push to get your
goals written down. Most people
hold on to their goals in their minds because of fear to execute them. Writing them down, to me, is the first
step to executing your goals.
People often want to get the results of things but not take the journey
to plan things out orally and in some format of writing. I’m “old school” as they say. I like to write my goals out on paper
first. If you are more comfortable
with using a fancy app on your laptops, iPads, tablets, phones or whatever else
is out there, by all means, USE IT!
Next, stay consistent with reflecting and revising your
goals. Sometimes, you can start
out with a goal, gain some knowledge and/or experiences that require you to
revise or change it all together.
Don’t worry. It happens to
the best of us. Take the necessary
lessons learned and keep it moving.
Don’t get discouraged and decide to give up all together. Think about some of the most successful
people who at some point in their life changed their goals to fit and maximize
their purpose in life. Albert
Einstein revised his goals, Oprah Winfrey at some point, altered her goals in
life. The late Steve Jobs,
Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple, Inc., changed his goals too. Some of the greatest inventions,
programs and technology all emerged from a revised goal.
Lastly, celebrate yourself once you accomplish your
goals. Giving yourself a pat on
the back for a job well done or treating yourself to something special is not
only an incentive for you but it motivates you to get back to the drawing board
of setting more goals and accomplishing them.
Hope this help you set and accomplish your goals as it has
helped me throughout the years.
Be blessed!
Felicia Simpson
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