GET IT RIGHT!! ..............Setting the Right Goals...........

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Martin Lurther King, jnr. said 

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals".

 * Planning For Your Future Now *

Transition from childhood into adulthood might be challenging for many young people. This is a stage where many things seem to be happening at once,  such as battling with confusing emotions, trying to figure one's identity and build a personality. There is also the decision of what career to be pursed in the future as well as other decisions to be made as a young person 

No matter how daunting all these may seem, you can create a desired future by planning ahead. Starting now, you can choose a career you want to pursue and nurture that dream.  

WHAT STEPS SHOULD  YOU TAKE IN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE ?

-What do you want in life? 

In Mark Strand's words "The future is always beginning now ". 

To plan for the future,you must first understand who you are and what you want in life. What are your dreams? What do you need to achieve these dreams? What challenges/obstacles are you likely to encounter in the pursuit of your dreams? What skills do you have ?  What do you love doing ?

What you love doing reveals your interests and skills. Most times, your interests are closely tied to you skills, especially skills you enjoy using often. Identifying your skills can open you up to more career options. For instance , a person who is good at drawing can develop that skill by deciding to study Fine-art or Architecture in the university. 

-Identify your goals

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A goal is something specific that you want to accomplish within a certain period of time. People who achieve their goals are those that take time to clearly define what they want and pursue it relentlessly. It might be a long term goal (to become a doctor in future) or a short term goal ( to finish reading a textbook by the end of a week). 

Discussing your goals with trusted people like your family, counselors, teachers, religious leaders  and mentors that can help you understand your life aspirations better 

You can set goals in some of the following areas (or in other areas you feel are important to you):

1.Career - What level do you wish to attain in a chosen career? Do you want to work in an established organization or become an entrepreneur with your own business ?

2.Education - What educational qualification /levels do you wish to attain ? What information  and skills are needed to obtain these qualifications , for how long will you need to study?

3.Attitude - Are there certain attitudes that can disturb achievement of your goals ? Are you optimistic or pessimistic ? Do you procrastinate or work well with time ? 

Your attitude towards goals issues has a great influence in deciding your career. 

A useful way to making goals more powerful is to use the SMART memory aid when setting them. 

SMART stands for. 

* S - Specific [ or Significant ].

* M - Measurable [ or Meaningful ]

* A -  Attainable  [ or Action-Oriented ]

* R - Relevant  [ or Rewarding ]

* T - Time-bound  [ or Trackable ]

-Making a Career Decision 

One of the decisions or future plans young people have to decide about is the choice of a career 

There are many factors that influence a young person's career decision and spark a lifelong interest in a job. It could be a game played as a child or a character on a television show. Other influence are ; family , friends , culture , media and teachers. Despite these influences , you are the most important decision maker. You also have to make plans to achieve your desired career. 

The steps in achieving a desired career include: 

1. Assess Yourself : Before you can make a career choice you have to learn about yourself. Ask yourself , what do I like to do ? What am I passionate about ? What are my values , interests , skills , and personality traits that will make this career suitable for me ? 

2. Explore your career options : Learn about your career options. What is needed for my chosen career? What subjects am I supposed to take at O' levels? What skills are needed ? What school will offer me the best platform for this career ? What are the likely challenges ? These are a few questions to ask yourself when making a career choice. 

3. Set your priorities : A third step in choosing a career is to sort out your priorities for that career. This is a major component of career planing for a young person. After you have spent time on step one and two , some of your strong preference would start to emerge.  You might learn that you don't want to work in an office environment, or you might find out that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a career, so you can take those types of jobs off your career list.  

Whatever it is that you learn about yourself , you are making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career.  

Most importantly, keep it all in perspective. Set a time frame and continue to assess yourself to see how far you have gone and what more you need to do. This can be done with a career plan template. 

The good news is that while you can decide on a career to pursue now, you don't have to live forever with that career. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first career you choose probably may not be your career 15 to 20 years from now, unless you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open, and use all available resources In your journey of choosing a career. 

Challenges are bound to arise when planing for the future. Some common challenges young people face in making career choice include : 

- Finances

- Peer pressure 

- Change in career choice 

- And so on.