Teens Meet Outreach

Happy New Year! It has been an interesting ride these past few days.

Well, I have stumbled on few posts on social media, about how there is nothing special about the new year, why people should not have a new year resolution. As much as people are entitled to their opinion, I strongly think there is a need to have a SMART goal, and also a plan on how you can achieve your goal every year.

Starting the year with no expectation is like you are traveling without a compass. It means you will have no direction, get swayed by people’s ideas and maybe get distracted from your goals.

Let’s have a reflection on how you spent 2019

• How did you start 2019?
• Did you have any goal in mind?
• How many of your goals were you able to reach?
• Did you feel bad for not been able to achieve your goals?
• Finally, how many things did you achieve by luck or chance?

As simple as these questions may look, I want you to write them in your journal and answer them when you are free. The need to have an expectation at the beginning of the year, is to help you focus; create a balance on every aspect of your life.

The truth is nothing happens by chance; even miracles are not by chance.

Miracles are often times an example of the statement. “Preparation meets opportunities”, so if you want to live the rest of the year believing in miracles, without an effective work, then you are walking towards failure.

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Even the scripture lays emphasis on works without faith, which produces nothing. If you choose not to have anything or be different at the end of this year, then you may choose to stop reading this article and head over to your belief. However, if you want to have a different and great result, and meet up to all your expectations, you do need to read this article.

When I was a teenager, I started each year with one resolution most times, which was to complete the Bible. Need I tell you I met this resolution. I never completed the Bible not because I was too busy with work, or I did not have a personal Bible, but because I did not create a structure, a plan towards my resolution.

I do not know your resolutions, but I do know getting good grades at school is one of them. So, how do you plan to achieve this?

The year is young, and each day, you get older as much as I do and very soon you will celebrate your next birthday.

You failed last year because you were unprepared. Many times, unexpected situations can occur in our lives, making us fright and handicapped. Hey! Such situations should make us better, but that is if you have a plan.

Perhaps, your goal this year is to enlarge your tutorial business which you had started a year ago. You spend this month giving parents discount on each student. Sooner than later, you have 10 different students that you teach. Sometime in August, your parents tell you they are relocating to another state. This is good news for the family, no doubt. You all are moving, because your dad gets a better job, but it is not good news for you, because your business will go down the drain.

This is an example of an unexpected situation, which may disrupt your plan.

Regardless of anything you can still end the year with loads of accomplishments.

• How can I make a plan?
• What do you desire this new year?

Do you want to write IETLS exam? Do you want to gain admission into the university? Do you want to save more?

Whatever you desire to do this year needs a plan, making a plan is one best way to help you achieve your goal.

In making a plan, have an overview of the possibilities of your desire becoming a reality.

Do you want to save Five hundred thousand Naira as an undergraduate, with no feasible increase in your monthly allowance from your parents, or side hustle?

The above example is unrealistic, and it will be difficult to make a plan.

Always bear in the mind the possibilities surrounding your goal.

It is very possible and realistic to get a scholarship this year, become a fellow in YALI, a cohort of Tony Elemelu, a brand ambassador for a brand in your school. All of these are possible, because they are within your reach, and they are achievable.

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Measure the resources around you.

There are available resources for you. If you are making a plan, you need to work with the resources you have around.

If you want to save a hundred thousand naira as an undergraduate this year, you will have to measure how much you have left from your monthly allowances. You also have to check ways in which you can minimize your expenses, such that you can save #8,500 per month.

You may want to learn at least 3 skills for this year; you may not have a laptop. Does any of your close friends have a laptop? Can you learn this skill on your phone? Is your smart phone smart enough to help you experiment this news skill? When you answer all of these, it helps you to know how to make your plans.

How important is this goal?

You also need to check the relevance of this desire, want and goal. Many at times, I sit down to crosscheck the relevance of my new goal. If it has no particular impact, or effect on my path, I let it slide.

{Read: Why Goal Setting Should be Taken Seriously}

Do you just want to learn this skill because all of your friends are learning it? Do you have a passion for it? Will it complement your career? Is it relevant to your current career path?

Asking yourself these questions will help you focus. Following your friends’ dreams will only waste your dreams, and render you oblivious.

What are your desired results?

It will amaze you how someone wants to save more money this year, but does not have a target, no drive, or even desired outcomes.

When making a plan, you need to have an expected result.

“At the end of the year, I want to be a certified digital marketer”

That is a great desired result. You must have an expectation from your wish or desire. That is the way to increase.

In conclusion, I think it is a bad lifestyle to get into a new year without having a foresight of what you want to achieve at the end of the year. I do have my goals for this year, and you can guess one of them is to write more valuable contents that will help you grow. I will be sharing with you various tips that will help you achieve your goals this January.

If you need help making your plans, you may like to meet a coach to help you on that.

I love you and care for you always.

Do have a jocund January!

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Related: New Year Resolutions or Goal Setting?

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I hope you got something from this. Do leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to not miss a post.