We Know…The Future is a Scary Thing

written by Rachel W.

Let’s face it – the future can be scary. You have dreams and big ideas for your life, but how do you go about accomplishing them? This article will be all about setting goals for yourself; that way you can keep going in the direction you want.

Brainstorming is a great technique to use to think of all the possible outcomes you might want from your actions. Think about both material things and abstract ideas. Do you want to live in a certain city when you’re older? How do you want to be remembered in 20 years? What score do you need on a certain test to get a good grade in the class? Go through anything and everything relevant to you right now and decide what you want to work towards.

One key to setting goals is making them attainable; its great to have crazy dreams, but sometimes it’s good to be practical, too. This is probably the hardest part of the process because you have to look at the reality of the situation you’re in. However, don’t let that scare you off from imagining outcomes that YOU want! Maybe you need to take baby steps towards that goal or break it down into easier-to-reach chunks.

That leads into the next point: use your imagination! Having an attitude that things aren’t going to work out is the easiest way to allow things to go wrong. Stay positive and remember that nothing can stand in the way of you reaching your fullest potential. Hardships may arise as you are working hard, but don’t let them stop you!

A helpful way to stay motivated is to put motivational quotes is easily accessible places. Personally, I have printed some out to stick in the cover of my school binder and have set them as the background on my computer, but do whatever works for you!

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“Dreams don’t work unless you do.”

“She believed she could, so she did.”

“Let your faith be bigger than your fear.”

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

The last thing to remember when setting goals is that if you surround yourself with good influences, it will be easier to stay motivated! Whether you reach out to friends, teachers, parents, counselors, etc., having someone to talk to about your dreams is important. They can help you plan steps to reach your goals or just give you inspiration to get there!