Actualizing your future: A 10-year goal

I want to challenge all of my readers to sit down with a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. We're going to write out some goals.

Let's start small

What would you like to accomplish by next week? Do you really want to tackle that pile of laundry you've been putting off folding? I know I've been there before. Weeks go by sometimes. By the time I fold it, I need to wash laundry again!

Do you want to apply for some jobs? Do you need to mow the grass? If you're in school, do you need to catch up on some reading assignments? Or maybe you want to read a novel just for leisure. Perhaps you look forward to going down to the creek to do a little fishing. Whatever your goal is for next week, write it down.

Now, let's expand on that

What would you like to accomplish by next month? Do you need to cut back on how much you spend on groceries in a month? Do you want to re-stain your deck? Do you need to finish that quilt you've been procrastinating on finishing? What is it that you desire for yourself? It could be anything. Write it down.

A bit further out

What would you like to accomplish by next year? Do you want to graduate college? Get your GED? Learn how to cook a few new meals? Learn how to play the violin? Find a new church family? Get a raise at your job? Pay off your car loan? Learn a computer programming language? Learn a foreign language? Think BIG! Write it down.

Now, were talking long-term

What would you like to accomplish in the next 5 years? Do you want to buy a house? Go on a cruise? Get married? Have a baby? Start a business? Write a book? Write it down.

TEN YEAR GOAL

Now, I want you to think really hard about what your passion is and where you want to be in 10 years. It can be as reasonable or as lofty as you want. Whatever it is, just be sure you truly want it. It can be something you've dreamed about doing since you were little. Even if you don't think you'll ever achieve it or be able to make it there, just write it down.

Okay...

First of all, congratulations! You've just done a lot of thinking and reflecting and all of that is wonderful and good!! Secondly, you're not done.

This is going to take some time, but it's very important that you do this... and I recommend that you do it yearly to re-evaluate and/or reaffirm your goals. Because seeing how much progress you've made can motivate you and seeing how challenged you've been can also motivate you or it can help you redetermine what your priorities are.

I want you to go backwards... starting with your 10 year goal... and ask yourself, what needs to happen in those 10 years to get there. Logically and reasonably, think about the steps it would take to get there. Write them down.

Once you've got those ideas jotted down, write out the things you can do TODAY to take the first step toward that goal. Is it sign up for a class at your local community college? Is it go to a networking event and meet some business professionals? Is it getting an appointment with your gynecologist and talking about your desire to add to your family? Write it down.

Lastly, no plan is complete without accounting for some of the pitfalls and setbacks. Think about all of the reasons that you haven't done these things yet. Think about all of the barriers that have kept you from making a move in the right direction. Think about your fears, what you think might happen to keep you from attaining your goals. Write them down.

And there you have it... a 10-year goal. You did it! Now all you have to do is take that first step. Baby steps. And you can get there, gradually, slowly, and maybe in 15 years instead of 10. Maybe you won't own a house in 10 years like you wanted, but that 30-year mortgage is still a possibility. Maybe you won't graduate this year, but next year is a possibility. You can do it!


What's my current 10-year goal?

10-year goal: to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). I started the journey a year ago, so my expected graduation is 2026.
Barriers: finances, paying for childcare, the long commute to downtown Chicago every day, the long hours, less sleep, less time for self-care, less family time.

5-year goal: to get into a competitive program at Rush University that will be paid for, in full, by RUMC.
Barriers: a less than impressive GPA, not enough letters of recommendation.

1-year goal: to graduate with my bachelor's of science in nursing and get a job in the psychiatric department at RUMC.
Barriers: not enough experience in the field for the job requirements, commute, childcare costs, difficult coursework, academic coaches that grade harshly.

1-month goal: to get a nursing job, most preferably in the mental health/behavioral health field. To complete this difficult nursing course I'm in currently.
Barriers: not enough time to complete assignments, not getting interviews.

1-week goal: to apply to 20 jobs. And, although I can't really control it, to get at least 1 interview. To get full points on all of my assignments.
Barriers: no interviews, no job leads, lack of motivation to complete assignments thoroughly, overlooking instructions in the rubric and syllabus by mistake (like I did in my last class).

Today's goal: to complete some schoolwork and post a blog.
Barriers: I've already done them. Boom!