So over the weekend I had a nice conversation with my sister about life and all the goals that we both hope to accomplish, especially career wise. The longer we spoke, the longer the list grew and the more intimidating those accomplishments became. So today I decided that my blog was going to be about staying proactive in accomplishing goals. I came across a number of articles and blogs that gave steps on what exactly to do in order to stay on track but none of them really inspired me. Then I came across a blog post by Anne Headley where she explains how one of her friends has been searching for a job far too long and she doesn’t really understand why.

She then goes to explain that at the end of the day everyone should have a conversation with themselves and ask, “What did I do today?” She says that if you accomplish at least three activities from the list that she created, (listed below) that you are on the right track to fulfilling your goals. I really liked that she put down easy activities that are incredibly plausible in day to day life. Clearly you do not need to follow the list exactly and your list may vary, like, “I helped the new neighbors carry in boxes, introducing myself as I did so” but something along the lines of networking with a new group of people would suffice as well. Just remember to remain positive and goal oriented. Nothing is going to happen overnight so just know that a lot of small little steps can eventually get you to where you want to be.

Here is Anne Headley’s list from her blog post, “What Did You Do Today?”:

• I wrote a letter to the editor of the paper
• I posted a review of the movie that I watched yesterday
• I helped the new neighbors carry in boxes, introducing myself as I did so
• I checked the online bulletin boards
• I called my friend from a former position and set up a time to meet for coffee
• I walked in the cool morning air (the only time of the day you can do it here in Maryland this week!)
• I prayed/meditated about my situation
• I volunteered at the local (fill in the blank here), offering my best skills, but willing to do anything that’s needed
• I sent a copy of my revised resume to a place I had previously interviewed
• I despaired a bit and hoped more

"Thinking" courtesy ~tibi~ via Flickr Creative Commons