Dear Editor – Students, you need to learn the process for planning goals and objectives.
Once you learn planning techniques,you will have the ability to plan your academic career and events dealing with management of time and money.
If you do not plan for a career, it is like being on a boat without a rudder to steer you. Your boat may be rocked about and may drift in the wrong direction.
Here is an example of bad planning.
You are a skydiver and you and your friends decide to jump out of an airplane at an altitude of 15 kilometers.
While descending, you are amazed at your ability to swoosh through the air doing various gymnastic maneuvers but,too late,someone else packed your parachute; your chute does not open.
At that last moment, you notice frangipani bushes in your face.
The result of not focusing on your primary purpose and the last sound heard by you and some nearby observers would be a loud SPLAT and a gasp –“OOOH” from your friends but, falling through the sky is not what killed you, it was the sudden stop.
Symbolically, the sudden stop academically is when you either,1) drop out of school or,2) are pushed out, or 3) graduate from secondaryor university and you are not prepared to deal with the question of “What will I do next?”
Students and all youth, you need to understand the necessity to plan your academic and life goals whether for a diploma or for finding a job. Planning is just as necessary to finish an education as it is to finding employment.
Planning reduces feelings of anxiety,but also provides opportunities to discuss your plans with your parents and other significant parties (NGOs or prospective employers).
One idea to begin planning is to begin answering these questions.
1.Why am I here: at home, school, church, sports club, job, bush, hermit, on a mountain?
2. What am I doing?
3. Where do I want to go? (Goals)
4. Why do I want to go there? (Justifying your goals)
5. What do I need to go there? (Objective to achieving goals)
6. What are other alternatives?
Another idea for planning is visualizing, picturing in your mind,the future as a functioning, spiritually oriented adult, managing the nation’s fish, timber, and mineral resources and God affirmed affairs of the Solomon Islands’ community.
Picture what you would like to have happen and work towards it.
The reason for writing about all this is for the past 23 years I have lived in Honiara and worked on many levels with Solomon Islanders, within several provinces,in the civic, educational, legal, religious, business, and sports areas.
I am convinced that one of my most significant achievements has been to assist people in understanding the necessity to develop a game plan to move forward to the level of action.
“Let deeds not words be your adorning.”
Once you learn the steps to academic and career planning you will gain the ability to comfortably plan community related activities that require monitoring time, budgets, facility development and staff or personnel training.
Students, you need to learn to write down plans: a) a summary of what is required for success; b) a schedule of all activities to reach their goals; and c) a list identifying and forecasting risk factors.
After successfully achieving all of the above, you must understand the process now becomes one for periodic review and updating.
Is there a message?
Yes, to students and young adults!
The message is either you organize your activities and actions to become a more effective student, employee or manager or you flounder in the abyss of indecision, inaction and become dysfunctional, while letting other individuals make decisions for you regarding your future.
When seeking either levels of higher education or a job, show a copy of your plan to your prospective university admissions officer or employer.
You will be presenting the most outstanding information about who you are and who you can become in the environment of that educational institution or the employment of your chosen company or government ministry.
Yes, planning is essential for success!
Don Boykin
Honiara
