There are two key words here, “prepare” and “future”.
To prepare is to simply be ready for whatever will happen next. The future is the minute you’re yet to see.
Many times, we tend to think of the future by counting years from now and picturing how our lives would be by then. But we really don’t have to think that far the moment the word “future” is mentioned, cos in the real sense, it refers to those moments you are yet to see, which includes what will happen in the next minute or hour.
How do we prepare for this future? Let’s take it in bits.
For example, the next 15 minutes is my future. In 15 minutes time, I’ll still be writing this piece. I know this, because I’ve planned it beforehand and I know that all things being equal, I’ll still be writing. Now, imagine I never had a plan for the “future 15 minutes”, I’d probably just be about and everywhere and doing some irrelevant things, because I don’t have any significant thing to do.
That’s just a basic example to make you understand what it really means to prepare.
Again, to prepare is to simply be ready for whatever will happen next.
It’s a common saying that no one knows what tomorrow holds, and while this is true to an extent because life throws different things at us when we least expect, it still doesn’t mean you should care less about preparing for the future.
Preparing for the future is like putting on a seat belt in your car, not because you expect death, but because you are preparing for the uncertainty. You don’t put on your seat belt because you think you will have an accident on your way, but because “what if?”.
This exact thing applies to preparing for your future.
So, even though something dangerous can happen tomorrow, you should still make plans. The world might come to an end before you bag that degree, you never can tell, but you still make plans.
Even though I might get an urgent call within the pre-planned 15 minutes, I still have plans to be writing by then.
You get the drift now?
You don’t just jump into the future without having a set plan on how to run it, which can only be done by PREPARING; staying ready before it happens at all. You can’t possibly hit an unknown road without a road map or someone to guide you, else you find yourself moving around and portraying a perfect example of someone with no proper preparation.
Preparing for the future is all about setting goals. Your goals are what you intend to achieve. They are what you look forward to in your future.
Again, it doesn’t always have to be so far. There are mini- and long-term goals. Deciding to do a few things before going to bed is a goal already, and achieving it just as planned is a success.
How do you set these goals? How do you fit them into your future?
Who knows about SMART goals?
S-pecific
M-easurable
A-achievable
R-ealistic/relevant
T-ime bound
Everyone can set goals, but not everyone can set SMART goals.
Remember you are a #BDteen; you are Beyond Definition, and even if every other teenager chooses to spend their time anyhow, you wouldn’t do that because you are meant to stand out. You are meant to go beyond the norm, and this includes making plans for every minute and never let your time fly past you without you noticing.
To be continued…
We have tweet chats every Saturdays, and this was what we discussed last week, with the hashtag #thefuture. You can join us this coming Saturday as we continue the series. Follow @teensmeetonline on twitter. There’s a lot to discuss.
On Saturday, 22nd July, we will discuss how you can set mini and long term smart goals and achieve them, without letting procrastination get in the way.
Teens Meet Outreach 