Words of Wisdom (or Experience) Part 5

This is my last week as a member of the student body of Purdue University, and America. I have been through a lot in my 4... (or make that 5) years of college. Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my life here in West Lafayette and how it could have been different or it could have changed. It is a sobering thought that in 3 week's time I will really really be out on my own in the real world. So basically each day this week, I will try to leave you all with some story or something I have learned that you can use (if you like) in your own life. Maybe I have suffered some so you can suffer less by learning from my mistakes...

Thursday (Setting Goals)

This will probably be a shorter post, since there isn't too much to say, other than that it works. Setting goals gives you something you reach for. Your goals should be measurable and tangible. Something you can mark yourself against, and something you can see or feel. A good example goal is "I want to get a 3.0 GPA this semester" or another is "I want to get to 400 friends on facebook" (both of which I accomplished in my life, haha). Examples of bad goals would include "I want to have more friends on facebook" or "I want to increase my GPA this semester." I am a huge fan of checklists. They give you a visual reminder of what you need to do, and they a sense of accomplishment when you finish something.

This one is more of a life tip I guess. If you set your own goals, it will give you direction in life. Something to reach for. Something to hold onto. Something to hang your hat on. Setting goals in the big things as well as the little things in life is important as well. Once you set a goal, you must get to work on how to accomplish that goal. One of the highest highs in life can be achieved in reaching a goal. Writing down your goals in a journal or somewhere you will see it often is also important in goal setting. You should see this written down as often as possible right up until you accomplish your goal (perhaps a mirror or on your desk).

Also, it doesn't hurt at all to change your goals along the way. If you see that things aren't going as expected, maybe you need to refocus. Changing your goals can help you stop and re-evaluate yourself and your path.

This is all something I wish someone would have taught me when I was a freshman coming into college...

I don't know about you, but I would rather go straight to the promised land instead of wandering around in circles in the desert for 40 years.