The Importance of Remembering Our Goals

I can remember clearly the day that I sat down with my academic advisor at Hanover College and filled out the form that would officially brand me an English major. I was a sophomore, and I felt as if I had been waiting since the day I committed to Hanover to wear the English major label. I was eager to take the literary classes and the writing workshops, all preparing me to follow my dream of becoming a writer. At that moment, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to write, but I was certain writing would play a major role in my future.

Writing has always been my passion and my dream. As my senior year continues to inch closer, I know that it’s almost time to try to make my dream a reality, which is both exciting and terrifying. I also realize that working toward my bigger career goals will take time.

I recently stumbled upon an article from Mashable entitled, “How to Reclaim Your Goals When the Path to Success Gets Foggy.” The article is targeted at those already in the workforce who may have lost sight of their goals, distracted by the day-to-day tasks of their job. While I may not be the intended reader for this piece, I think it’s important to keep in mind as I embark on my job search in the near future. And I think it’s important for everyone to remember their dreams and goals and to not give up even when the path gets obscured.

The main advice in the article is simply to remember your career goals and to invest time in them. It’s easy to cast your bigger dreams aside, promising that it is a task to be dealt with on another day. But it’s important to devote time to your goals, because it will take time to accomplish them.

Another issue that could present a roadblock is fear. This could include fear of success, fear of failure or fear of what people will think of you. These fears must be cast aside if you’re to follow your dreams.

Though the article presents advice that sounds familiar and even trite, I think it’s important to remind ourselves of all these things and to make sure that we aren’t forgetting about the dreams that probably led us to our jobs in the first place.

Opportunity Ahead: A Summer at the Indiana Chamber

About three years ago, I made the decision to attend Hanover College—which is a little under five hours’ driving distance from my hometown of Mishawaka on a good day—where I will be a senior next year. I have again temporarily relocated from home to be in Indianapolis this summer for a communications internship with the Indiana Chamber.

Upon arriving home after completing the first day of my internship at the Chamber, my immediate task was to call my dad and relay to him the details of my initial experiences. As anticipated, he was overjoyed to learn that I considered the day to be a success and was looking forward to the days to come. He then predictably delivered a well-intentioned lecture, advising me to make the most out of this opportunity.

My dad (manager of a family-owned company based in Elkhart, Indiana) was the one who encouraged me to join my college’s business program to supplement my English major. To my surprise, I’ve largely enjoyed my business courses as much as or even more than many of my literature-based English classes. I have quickly realized that my two interests—writing and business—can create a happy union.

My summer internship here at the Chamber is a perfect example of the potential marriage of my interests. I’m excited to learn more about business while utilizing and improving my writing skills. As a college student planning on remaining and working in Indiana post-graduation next year, I look forward to learning about business in Indiana in particular. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to inform my business-savvy dad about a thing or two that he isn’t already aware of.