With 2016 upon us many people are thinking of New Year’s Resolutions in a bid to improve themselves over the next 12 months. A new year is a good time to take stock of where you are and see what you can change, but personally I don’t like the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. Why put the pressure on yourself to make a change that is often too grand or not fully worked out? Many people set themselves up to fail by not making their changes realistic and achievable – besides why wait until the New Year rolls around – you can make that change any day of the year. Instead you might want to plan where you will be this time next year – the difference is subtle, yet important.
The New Year will probably bring change for a lot of you – whether that is leaving school or college, starting a new course, heading to university, beginning an apprenticeship or getting your career underway with a first job. In the meantime you may have exams to think of as you continue your studies through until the summer – but what next?
Knowing what you want to do next – or even years in the future in the case of a career goal – will make all of this easier. However, many young people are unsure what they want to do with their lives after school, college, or beyond university, and this is perfectly normal.
There is plenty of advice on whether university, an apprenticeship, or work is best for you but ultimately the choice is yours to make. The choices you make will change how you plan for the weeks and months ahead, but without planning you could easily just find yourself coasting through the year ahead and suddenly finding that you need to make some serious choices.
Whatever route you are planning on you will ultimately end up looking to build a career for yourself. For some this may mean a particular job, but it also means deciding where you want to work.
Take a look at the options available to you and don’t let your prejudices shut out any possible routes until you have investigated them. Even if you plan on going to university it doesn’t hurt to look at the range of apprenticeships that are available in your area, as they may actually offer a better route for you.
Choosing a career is just part of the process, setting out steps to make it happen is another entirely. So, rather than just thinking if resolutions, why not use this time to make a plan for the year ahead – what do you need to do to succeed, and what will you do about it next week, month, or by the summer?
Here’s wishing you all a great start to 2016 – it promises to be a big year!
