Summer is Here

Time to Reset your Goals & Vision
Summer is a great time to reset and revive your goals for the future. Whether you’re pursuing a new career opportunity, starting school or relaxing during the break, using the summer to review your plans can be an enriching activity to help focus the remainder of your year. Reviewing your goals can come in all forms – physical, emotional, or professional – summer can give you the chance to focus on certain aspects of your life that you can’t necessarily focus on completely during the spring, winter or fall.

Setting goals gives you a focus and a purpose and can function as a reminder of what you are aiming to achieve. While high-level goals can something like “obtaining a better job opportunity,” try to get more specific with goals in order to stay focused. Successful goal setting begins with knowing what you want to achieve in the long-term. It is your big-picture vision of what you want your life to look like. Before deciding what you want to achieve this summer, take a moment to reflect on what you want to accomplish in your lifetime.

Start by deciding what the most important areas of your life are. Consider the following:

• Family
• Career
• Health & Wellness
• Finances
• Relationships
• Spirituality
• Personal Development

Goals are meant to inspire you, and allow for personal growth. Make sure your goals are ambitious (but also realistic) so that when you accomplish them, you feel a real sense of achievement. They should be achievable, but not easy to achieve. Make sure that your goals are timely and have specific deadlines. Difficult, more complex goals generally take longer to accomplish than smaller ones. As a result, give yourself time so that your goals are still achievable and allow yourself to feel growth. Goals are a great way to make sure you make the most of your summer. Be ambitious, but remember to make sure you do not over-commit during the summer.

As much as you’re learning and growing, remember to enjoy the process! Keep in mind that every decision you make today will impact your future and the Workforce Solution is there to help you get a job, keep a job and get a better job.

Carolyn Kennard is a Regional Facilitator for Workforce Solutions in the Houston – Galveston area. She conducts job search skills seminars throughout the 13 county Gulf Coast region. Before embarking on a career in workforce development, Carolyn achieved success in marketing and training with a major oil company. Carolyn holds a B.A. degree from Virginia State University and an M.A. degree from Prairie View A&M University.