In my last post, I offered you a lot of questions to ask yourself about your career goals and the steps you can take toward those goals. Based on some responses for more information, I'm going to break down these questions into more detail. Maybe you should start a journal?

Keep in mind though - life changes! Our minds, our bodies, our circumstances - everything or anything can change by the time you're 30 years old or older (if you can imagine that)! Life is usually a lot different than we imagined when we're in high school daydreaming about our great escape during math class.

But for now, when you think about what you want to do for a living, consider the questions listed in this post. Don't get frustrated if your answers don't correspond with what your career goal(s) are, because sometimes you just need to shift your thinking (as I mentioned in the last post when I referred to the example about playing ball vs. coaching ball vs. writing a book about ball).

- Do you want to work inside or outside? A little of both?
- Do want variety in your day to day job?
- Do you want to work in an office setting?
- Do you want to work in or near the water - or work doing something in regards to the water? (Ocean, lake, river?)
- What type of weather do you want to wake up to every day?
- What country, state or city do you want to live in?
- Do you want to travel for work?

- Do you want to work with any specific type of people? (Kids, elderly, people with disabilities, etc.)
- Do you want to work with animals?
- Do you like to be around a lot of people, few people, no people...or animals only?

- Do you want the benefits of a government job? Military job? Corporate job?
- Do you have to be your own boss?
- Do you feel you have to work your way up any organization to be the boss, or are you happier being led by a leader or supervisor?

- Do you want to work with machines? Some ideas are: equipment, transportation, computers, heavy equipment, factory equipment, farm equipment, lab equipment, astrology equipment...this could go on for pages.

- Do you want to learn a second language to open your job possibilities?
- Do you want to work to save the environment?
- Do you want to work with numbers? literature? art? music?

I could do this all day, so for now you can review this list. If you are interested, each of these questions can be broken down into even more questions. You can cross-reference this list first and see what things can go together. For example, you can work with computers doing things for the environment, specifically the ocean, while also traveling between offices in multiple countries where you use the languages you became fluent in.

See how that works? It's fun - give it a try.

Bye for now curious cats,

Wendy

Jobs, Careers & Success - Part 1

HELLO REAL WORLD

DO I DEFINE MY WORK? DOES MY WORK DEFINE ME?

At your age it is easy to dream big! It's so exciting! And sadly for some kids, it is easier to not dream - to feel lost and have low expectations. The hardest part of being a teen is to dream realistic, while still dreaming of success and reaching for greatness.

People often end up working for jobs they didn’t plan for and didn’t enjoy, but later they discover the experiences were beneficial – professionally or socially. So be patient if your first, second or third job feels like a dead-end because it may get you where you need to be to fulfill your dreams. (Never underestimate the power of networking in any situation!)

STEPS TO FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

Mistake Number 1: Having goals that don't align and that don't actually lead TO YOUR DREAM!

What are your goals for age 25 or 30? Where do you want to live? Is owning a house important to you? Or do you want the city life with an apartment and lots of lights and activity around you? (Don't worry, this isn't a total commitment. What you want at 30 may change dramatically but the point right now is to align your goals.)

What type of career do you want to have by age 25 or 30? Does this career make sense with where you want to live? If not, you may need to be flexible and move to where you're most likely to find the path to your career? (For example, does the career you want require you to live by the ocean, or by a University, or in the countryside?)

Do you have an artistic or athletic hobby that you might turn into a career? What do you need to do so that you might be successful with your hobby? Maybe that should be your career back-up plan? Is it something you can nurture and earn a living from? Do you think you'd grow to dislike it if it were a 'career' and no longer a casual hobby?

What are your career back-up plans A, B & C? Are they related to your first career choice or completely different?

ACTIVITY!

Write down the steps it would take to make your number 1 career choice happen. Next, do the same for back-up plans A, B & C. And finally, do the same thing for your hobby.

Hint - Do some research! Get on the Internet or ask around - are your ideas about these career choices realistic? Do you think you'd enjoy the steps required to reach these goals? Do you think you'd enjoy the actual work once you've reached these goals?

Do the steps to each of these goals align with one another? Do any of the goals require the same step(s)? For example, do they all require you to go to a four year college? A trade school? Private training? What type of internships or activities can you do to gain experience that will help you achieve these steps? Do any of the steps contradict the other?

Mistake Number 2: Are you being honest about your personality when dreaming of these goals?

• Do you want to be a doctor but you faint at the site of blood?

• Do you want to be a psychiatrist but you have no patience for listening to others drone on about their problems?

• Do you want to work with animals but your heart would break into pieces if you lost an animal to disease or abuse?
  

Don't be discouraged if you're falling into the traps of Mistake Number 2! You may still find a way to these goals, but you might need to shift your ideas around a little. Maybe you would love to be a professional football player but you can't meet the physical demands, well are you a good leader? Would you want to coach instead? Or maybe you should research and interview pro ball players and then write books about them!

There are always choices! You just have to be creative and persistent. More on that soon -

Bye for now curious cats,

Wendy

Introduction Learning Life - Tools for Teens

Hey there young friends! Welcome to my new blog designed to mentor you through both the serious and lightweight questions you may have as you're pushing your way through high school and preparing for the exciting but intimidating real world - a world where you will become an adult!

Below are some topics I'll cover through these blogs. The title will be relevant to the topic so if you're not interested then just breeze on past, but please stay tuned for topics that do interest you!

First, you (and most definitely your parents) might want to know who I am. My name is Wendy and I won't write a biography right here but you can learn more by visiting my two business websites: www.LearningLifeTools.com, and www.DeLuciaScript.com

Here's a snapshot: I am 33 years old, married since 2007 and we have an amazing little boy who will be ONE in a few weeks...wow time flies. And that should be life lesson number one: TIME FLIES!

I am a professional writer and an entrepreneur. I am crazy about animals, including our two huge dogs, Mo & Panda.

I've had many, many, jobs (but never fired) so needless to say I can't wait to talk to you about career paths, preparing yourself to do what you love - and having a back up plan that is realistic. Anyway, until then, feel free to email me directly at: wendy@LearningLifeTools.com

I hope I can be your mentor and friend as you're asking yourself, "How is my life going to turn out?"

Bye for now curious cats,

Wendy

What are life skills?

Personal finances: checking & savings accounts
Credit management
How to invest
Taxes
How to rent or buy a home
How to lease or buy a car
Insurance….

Life skills are also...

Street smarts, including self defense, anti-drugs and anti-smoking
The basics of college: Where do I go? How do I apply? How do I pay for it?
Finding a career path that makes sense and having back up plans
The basics of entrepreneurship
Managing a home and automobile
Stress and time management