The new year is always my favorite time to set goals. While I don't ascribe to the general "resolutions" trend, I do think it's a great time to re-evaluate your vision, set goals, and create a plan for the year.
That's what I do each January, and it's one of my favorite parts of the year. While I always set goals to some extent throughout my life, I didn't get serious about it until a few years ago.
And the year I got serious about it is the year my life drastically changed - I published a book, started a blog, traveled more than I ever had in my life, and was able to live my dream and work from home.
Taking goal setting seriously can drastically change your life. But not because it's magic. And not because writing something down means it will happen.
But when you take goal setting seriously by setting goals that motivate you, reading them every day, and turning them into actionable, daily habits, it really can help you achieve your wildest dreams.
But what do you do when you're not sure where you want to go? What if you don't know what do to with your life yet? What if you're not exactly sure what kind of job you want in the future? What if you don't entirely know where you want to be in the next few years?
That's okay!
And I'm writing this post just for you.
Because while I've always been a super planner, there have been so many times in my life when I've felt so unsure about where I want to go next. It's not always a good experience, and can leave you feeling lost and purposeless.
The good news is that a willingness to be flexible and have an open mind is vital as your career changes and progresses. You'll want to be open to new opportunities and adventures - some you may not even be able to dream about because you don't even know they exist yet!
But you won't be ready for those things if you aren't prepared. So how do you prepare and set goals for things you're not even aware of yet?
Set growth goals. The best goals you can set any time, but especially when you are unsure about what is next in your life, are the ones that will help you learn and grow.
"If you want to have more you have to become more. Success is not a doing process; it is a becoming process. What you do, what you pursue, will elude you - it can be like chasing butterflies. Success is something you attract by the person you become." - Jim Rohn
Consider goals like this:
*Read 10 non-fiction books on ____________ [insert topic you're interested in]
*Meet with at least 3 people who work as____________[insert professions that interest you]
*Apply for an internship doing___________[the best thing to do when you don't know what you want to do is explore, up-close-and-personal]
And of course, when you're in college, it's always helpful to set goals that motivate you get good grades.
But just wanting A's isn't enough - be sure to set a development plan to become the kind of student who gets A's (such as scheduling daily study time, meeting with professors, and reading books about how to succeed in college.)
Remember that planning doesn't mean you won't be going on an adventure; in fact I think planning is what makes an adventurous life that much more probable.
Note: My favorite book on how to set goals and turn them into daily action is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.
I have a confession to make: I procrastinate.
This is weird for me to say, because as my avid readers know, I'm the kind of person who does work way ahead of time; I never procrastinated in college.
However, in the past year of having my own speaking and consulting business, I'd started to notice a procrastination problem: I wouldn't start organizing my speeches until the last minute.
I love giving speeches, but I often dreaded planning them out.
My speeches are very organic, personal, and customized; I never do the exact same speech twice, which makes for a great experience, but an intensive planning process every time.
And up until recently the only process I knew to develop each unique speech was to sit in front of a blank Word document, think about my audience's needs, type out an outline, practice the speech, and then build the PowerPoint.
Seems simple enough, but as you know from having essay assignments, staring at that blank screen is torture.
I recently read the best book I've ever read on giving presentations and it sparked an entire new process of developing speeches.
I just finished enacting my new process (I'm writing this on a Friday night, but am scheduling this post for Monday because I know most people aren't huge nerds like me who enjoy working on a Friday night) and I felt so invigorated that I had to share this experience with you.
Finally, instead of staring at that blank screen I have a process that doesn't make me feel overwhelmed!
And most importantly - it's a process that killed my procrastination. I'm now unnaturally excited to plan all my speeches for the entire fall season and will probably have them all ready to go in the next two weeks.
As I wrote my speech ideas onto notecards and categorized them on my living room floor I couldn't help but remember the wisdom of my 9th grade teacher who taught us how to write a research paper by breaking it up into small parts:
(i.e. writing each quote on a notecard, organizing the notecards in categories, and then ordering the notecards into a cohesive order; then all we had to do was go notecard by notecard and fill in the gaps with our writing).
It reminded me that studying and tackling big projects in college requires purposeful process planning (omg is anyone else as excited as I am about this unplanned alliteration?).
Effective studying is not staring at a book. Writing a good essay is not staring at a blank screen. We procrastinate to avoid that awful feeling of not knowing how to start or what to do next.
So the next time you get a homework assignment, I've already got your first step covered: develop a process.
For example:
1) Look at your assignment and create a list of small things you need to do in order to complete it. Each step shouldn't take you any longer than one hour. Keep the steps short and simple.
2) Make sure each item begins with some kind of action verb.
3) Be creative. The best studying is down-and-dirty. Use your hands, use old-school tools like paper, scissors and markers, make notecards, spread your work all around the floor, plan discussions with friends, write on white boards, create animations, make up games.
4) Go through your list and check off each thing as you complete it so that the next time you sit down to do your homework you only have to look at the next thing to be completed; don't overwhelm yourself by looking at it all. Just focus on one thing at a time.
Breaking down your work into smaller parts and developing a process that works for you is actually invigorating and kind of fun. Seriously. I'm not just a total nerd talking, I swear (oops...I already revealed I was doing work on a Friday night...but it really was fun. And I have lots of cool-awesome-epic (is saying "epic" still a thing?) non-work-related activities planned for Saturday ;)).
We procrastinate because we're trying to avoid the feeling of incompetence. When you develop a process for your work you'll instantly feel more competent and confident, and you'll be armed with the skills to tackle your project ahead of time.
For more reading on the best college study skills and processes check out my fav study skill book Cal Newport's How to Become a Straight-A Student.
From the Ask Isa inbox:
Dear Isa,
What do you do when you used to be an A student and is now struggling to keep an A in any class? You study hard and are still unable to pass the way you want. Is it time to drop a class?
Sincerely,
Disappointed student who wants to do better
Dear Disappointed,
First of all I applaud you for caring and seeking help. That is the most important step!
I know it must be really frustrating to find your grades tumbling. There are many factors, so it's important to figure out what's causing the sudden drop.
First, I recommend talking to your professors immediately. You might also want to share the whole story with The Chatty Professor, as she also answers student questions on her blog and can give you exactly what to say to your professors to ensure the best outcome.
Then, ask yourself: have I really been doing everything I can to pass this course? Have I been to tutoring? Have I been meeting with my professors at least once a week? Have I been studying/doing homework at least 8 hours/week? Am I reading books and articles on how to succeed in college and study better?
Answer honestly and think about what habits you may need to change to improve your grades.
If you really are giving it your all, take a look at the subject and have a serious conversation with your professor. Is this class required for your major? If so, you might want to talk to a career counselor and advisor to consider other major tracks if you find you aren't liking nor succeeding in core courses.
Or perhaps there are some other factors going on in your life that are affecting your grades? Check with your advising office to see if they offer counseling services or mentorship programs.
I've never dropped a class so I'm not the expert on those policies or how it affects your transcript. I highly recommend you ask that question of your advisor and professor.
The key is to be proactive.
And finally, remember that doing poorly in a class does NOT mean you aren't smart. I got all A's in college, and my SAT score was nothing to brag about. The key to good grades is thinking strategically (e.g. choose a major that you find interesting), studying smarter, and asking for help ALL the time.
I also recommend checking out the book How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport.
And if you e-mail me at isa@communitycollegesuccess.com I'd be happy to send you the free resource on getting good grades that I share in my book.
Thanks again for reaching out. That alone tells me you ARE a straight-A student, even if the A's aren't showing up right now. They WILL be back if you continue to be proactive.
Let me know if you need any extra help, and good luck! :)
You can do this.
Sincerely,
Isa
