Planning for the Future

by Danae Tyus, Southwestern Area Vice President

 In high school, it’s the only thing anyone ever seems to talk or care about. Where do you want to go to college? What do you want to do when you grow up? What do you want to do with your life? It can all seem so overwhelming, but with just a few steps, the stress of thinking about and planning for the future will turn into inspiration.
1.) Write a Bullet-Point list: One thing that has always helped me to stay organized is creating bullet-pointed lists. It allows me to take all of the ideas that are jumbled up in my head and arrange them into a system that I can make sense of. By writing all your goals, dreams, desires, and wishes all out on paper, you’ll be able to start noticing patterns and similarities between them. This list will be able to function as your ground-zero or foundation for when you need a reminder of what you hope to accomplish in your life.
2.) Use SMART Goals: The next important step for planning for the future is making sure that the goals you have just outlined for yourself are SMART. S(pecific) M(easurable) A(ttainable) R(elevant) T(ime-based) By making sure your goals fit the requirements of this acronym, you will be well on your way to achieving all that you put your mind to.
​3.) Create a Vision Board: There are multiple learning styles that exist in the world, and sometimes
seeing it in words is just not enough. By making a vision board, you are creating an immersive
experience that allows you to be able to envision the very goals you’ve set in the past two steps. By
seeing the images displayed in real time, it makes it easier to become inspired to continue persevering
to complete your goals for the future.
5.) Evaluate and Revise Your Plan: One of the most important steps in planning for the future is taking a
step back and allowing yourself to evaluate the work that you’ve put in. Over time, our goals can
change--just as we can change as people. If you become hyper-fixated on accomplishing these goals that
you may have outgrown, all your hard work may go to waste. After you’ve assessed your goals, you may
need to revise them. If that is the case, just start back from square one and create a bullet-pointed list.

I hope that these steps help you to realize your ideas for the future and teach you how to organize,
implement, and learn from them. Best of luck to your future aspirations!

Sincerely,
Danae Tyus