Changes, Choices, Challenges
Do you ever ask yourself any of the following questions:
- "Is where I am, where I want to be?"
- "Am I taking steps today that will lead me where I
want to be tomorrow?"
- "Ten years from now, will I regret that I didn’t
take a different direction in my life?"
As parents of young children, children of
aging parents, a person in a job that is no longer enjoyable, a mother who is
taking time away from her career to raise her children, or a father who is
intrigued with a totally new career, we need to take "time outs" to
reassess and focus on the direction we want our lives to take. We must be on the
outlook for signals that indicate a need to reflect on where we are and where we
are going.
It is easy to allow ourselves to get
involved with our day-to-day lives and so to speak "postpone" career
decisions or career preparation until the "right time." The
"right time" may keep being "postponed" and we suddenly find
ourselves at a point in our lives where we think it is too late to change
directions. People who reach this point often find themselves frustrated,
unhappy, and may even reach a stage of hopelessness. Not a pretty picture is it?
Taking charge of our lives today to make sure we don’t reach this hopelessness
stage later does not mean that we let go of our current responsibilities. What
it does mean is that we set short-term goals, take mini steps, inch our way
closer to our future "career."
Another way to think about it is "the
need to make changes today, so we’ll have more choices tomorrow."
A book I have enjoyed reading is "The
Inventurers: Excursions in Life and Career Renewal" by Janet Hagberg
Richard Leider. They give excellent advice to people who are considering life or
career renewal.
An "inventurer," according to
the book, is one who considers new directions in life and is willing to accept
the accompanying risks and frustrations. If you are at a place in life where
renewal is needed, I challenge you to become an "inventurer." In
accepting this challenge you need to consider your untapped abilities. It has
been said that 95 percent of us live on 5 percent of our potential. Could
tapping some of your potential change your future life?
Your future can be determined by chance or
choice. I don’t know about you but I prefer to have a choice. This will only
happen if we take charge of our future. Taking charge can mobilize us with
enthusiasm and visions for a new tomorrow. It can involve risks, but don’t let
the fear of risk keep you from exploring new horizons ... turning dreams into
realities ... reaching out to new challenges.
by: Jo Jones
Learning and Leadership Team
Ohio State University Extension
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Work
and parenting: A hazardous combination?
Which aspects of employees’ work and
family lives impact parents most powerfully? Research shows that parents who are
at highest risk to experience negative work fallout at home share similar
characteristics. They put a higher priority on work than family and have jobs
that demand more time. Very likely, they are managers or professionals who don’t
have enough time to get everything done at work and experience significant
workplace stress and frustration.
Compounding the issues, the research
indicates that these at-risk parents have less parenting support at home from
family and friends when their child has a problem. Solutions are far from
obvious, but parents at higher risk may want to put more energy into developing
support systems.
by: Mary Longo, Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
Marion County
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Reach goals even when the unexpected happens
An old adage says success is a journey, not a destination.
How well you adjust and redirect your efforts when something unexpected happens
plays a big part in determining the time it takes to accomplish your goals.
As you reach toward goals in both professional and personal
settings, try following these 12 steps to success recommended by Eric Olesen in
his book "12 Steps to Mastering the Winds of Change."
-
View change as a challenge. Try not to dwell on what was. Focus on what
is.
-
Build commitment through goals and passion. Find something that you really
love doing and you’ll never "work" the rest of your life. Doing
what you are interested in is the key.
-
Stay committed, even when the going gets tough. If one approach doesn’t
work it doesn’t mean your goal is wrong. It just means you need to change
your plans on how to reach the goal or accomplish the task.
-
Know when to let go. Focus on the elements in your plan you can control
and work on those. Don’t lose sleep over what you can’t control.
-
Deal with setbacks. Talk about them with co-workers, friends and
relatives. Look for positives. What can you learn about yourself and your
plan. Move forward with your new knowledge.
-
Be optimistic. If you think you can’t, you won’t. A can-do attitude
every day will make your dreams come true. When self-doubt creeps in, read
the book "The Little Engine that Could" by Watty Piper.
-
Use humor to deal with change. Change and stress go hand in hand. When
things aren’t going well with a project or with your career, stress kicks
in. Look to your sense of humor for relief. Laughter is internal medicine
and a great stress reliever.
-
Learn from mistakes. Critique yourself and your actions. Remember learning
is connecting what you do know with what you don’t.
-
Maintain your perspective on events. As long as you develop and work
toward your goals, your present set-back is only temporary. Knowing where
you are going and what you want makes it easier to accept where you are.
-
Tune the body. Exercise improves your outlook and self image. It generates
energy and relieves stress while challenging you to do more than you think
you could possibly do.
-
Build confidence. Take baby steps. Give yourself a pat on the back each
time you accomplish a step toward your goal. Pat yourself on the back when
initial planning for programs and events is complete and move on to the next
step.
-
Communicate effectively. Good listeners are better communicators than good
talkers. Why? They learn more by listening than talking.
Summarized from "12 Steps Can Lead to Career
Success," by Jim Pawlak, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 6, 1997
by: Katie Schroeder, Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences and EFNEP
Ohio State University Extension
Montgomery County
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That's Life:
Education for an empty-nester
After having been an Extension agent for nearly nine years, I
decided to pursue another Extension job in a neighboring county. When the move
was made, I made the commitment that I would go back to school and pursue a
master’s degree. I was not thrilled about that decision, but to have the
career I wanted, I needed to return to school.
I am not a college co-ed, so the idea of returning to school
after an absence of 34 years was a bit intimidating. How did I do it? It was
much easier than I had expected.
I continued to work full time and to spend as much time with
my family as I could. Fortunately, this decision came at a time in my life when
our last child was leaving home for college. I was about to experience the
"empty nest syndrome." Returning to the classroom kept me busy and
preoccupied.
I must admit I chose the path of least resistance when making
my decision about returning to school.
We have a local university in my county of employment that
had just instituted a new master’s program in education. The university was
just down the street from our office, so travel to and from class was not a
problem. The program was "user-friendly." I did not overtax myself —
I still had a husband at home who deserved my time and attention. I took one
class per semester and two classes each summer.
I am happy to report that as I sit at my computer and write
this, I have completed all requirements for the master’s degree and as soon as
grades are turned in at the end of this semester, I will be awarded a master’s
degree in education.
The journey was relatively painless and enjoyable. I grew
both educationally and personally. The classroom was a wealth of information and
experiences. Would I do it again? Absolutely! And, I would recommend the
experience to anyone.
by: Bonnie Sutherly, Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
Champaign County
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