Plan to Win

We are all busy. We all have commitments coming at us from every angle. If you are trying to accomplish a goal, however, you have to make time to work on it.

This is where planning ahead comes in. Some people are good at planning. They write everything down in a planner, or have electronic planners that beep or buzz reminders all day long.

Other people aren't so good at planning. They just wing it, and often end up disappointed when they do not accomplish anything.

I came across this article on Spark People, about planning ahead. While "Plan Today, Succeed Tomorrow" is speaking specifically about getting healthier, I think it's a good article for planning in general.

Check out the article for tips to help you plan ahead and win!

Your Academic Advisor is Not Your Parent

The academic advisor provided to you once you begin college is not your parent. "Duh," you may be saying to yourself.  It is surprising how many students know this in theory, but when faced with tons of college questions they behave otherwise.

Having friends who are academic advisors, I am amazed at the types of questions students ask them. Questions like:

• Is a teacher nice or mean?
• Why can't I just skip this math class? I'm 40-years-old, I shouldn't have to take it.
• I emailed you ten minutes ago, why haven't you responded yet?

This prompted me to write my latest article for Fastweb.

Making the Most of Your Academic Advisor, explains the do's and don'ts of working with your academic advisor. An advisor is a great resource to have. You want to be sure to use him or her wisely.

Check out this article if you want to make the most of your academic advisor.

Successful Interview

Whether you are a recent college graduate, a current student, or you have been in the job market for years, it is always good to brush up on your job interviewing skills. A good (or bad) interview can mean the difference between you being hired or not. Your resume may get you into the door, but it is what you do in the interview that really counts.

In my latest article written for Fastweb I discuss why it's important for current students to gain work experience while in school. I also give 5 Tips to help you prepare for a successful job interview.


You may check out the article here and please pass it along to anyone you think would benefit from it.

Tools to Overcome Fear

Recently I wrote a blog post about being scared to succeed. I came across this article from Fabienne Fredrickson, founder of Clientattraction.com. She wrote an article for Forbes in which she gives advice on, "Four Ways to Break Through Your Fear and Self Doubt".

Also there was an article in the  Huffington Post which talks about the fear of success, and gives tools for overcoming that fear.
Terri Cole, who wrote the article, suggests journaling as one of the tools for overcoming fear.
I am a huge fan of journaling, and know that it can help a person to overcome many different obstacles and emotions. Through journaling you can discover what exactly you are afraid of, and even come up with ways to move past the fear.


If you have struggled with the fear of failure or success, check out this article, as well as Fabienne's article for tips to overcome it.

Happy Anniversary Second Chance!

This blog turns 1- year- old today and I couldn't be more excited! A year goes by SO fast. I've learned a lot in this past year and have had a lot of ups and downs. Most importantly, I have grown and I hope that you all have grown with me!

My top 5 accomplishments over the past year:

1. Graduated with a Master's degree
2. Became a contributing writer for Fastweb 
3. Became a contributing writer for Monster College
4. Had an article published on Back2College.com
5. I maintained this blog even when I wanted to give up

Top 5 lessons I've learned over the past year:

1. Giving up is not an option
2. Rejection won't kill me
3. There is a lot of help and information available if I look for it
4. I do not have to know everything before I can do anything
5. I am braver than I thought

So how about you? What have you accomplished this year, and what have you learned? Please help me to celebrate this 1st anniversary of "Second Chance" by remembering, "It is never too late to be who you might have been."

Guest Post- When I Grow Up...

 

Have you seen those retirement commercials? You know the ones I’m talking about. The commercials that promise you can do whatever you dream once you retire, as long as you invest with them. But why should you wait to retire before you do what you love? Why not start now, today, and live the rest of your life for the present instead of the future?

What’s holding you back? Is it a lack of education? A lack of resources? Or is it just fear, plain and simple? Don’t let anything hold you back from achieving your dreams. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still do what you love.

If it is education that is holding you back, then go to school. There have never been as many adult learners in history as there are today, so you won’t be alone. Plus, with online degrees you don’t even have to miss work to further your education.

The excuse of not having the resources won’t cut it anymore either. There is always a place to get your ideas funded. Government grants, non-profit organizations, even your friends and family can help you to have the money you need to make your dream a reality. Whether you are starting a new business, inventing something, or just embarking on a new career, there is always someone out there that can help you out. The internet is a great resource for connecting people who have similar interest, so take a look around and see what you can find.

If you feel too afraid to start pursuing your dream, guess what... Everyone is afraid; you just have to learn to continue despite the fear. It is not fear of success that scares you, it is failure. Don’t let the fear of failing stop you from even trying. If you think you won’t be able to survive, will lose everything you have, take a look around you. What will you really be losing? What can you do without? What is holding you back from pursuing your dream?

Don’t let your past determine your future. Look ahead and take it one day at a time. If you keep your goal in mind and make a plan, you are sure to succeed.

Author Bio

Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of nanny agency.  Learn more about her here.

Scared to Succeed, Do it Anyway

The concept of success is different to every person.  What would it take for you to consider yourself successful? For some success means being rich beyond their wildest dreams. For others success means, being able to run a full marathon, raise a healthy family, or  make a difference in their community. The concept of success depends on what's important to each person.

Most people would say that failure sucks. As someone who has been rejected or has failed to accomplish some of my goals in life. I can attest that yes, failure does suck. But what about success? Does it suck?

About a month or so ago, I applied for a new project. Getting accepted for this project would help me to further my career goals. Last week I received an email from the director of the project. He emailed me to ask some follow-up questions. He didn't say yes, or no to me regarding the project, but just said that he would be in touch.

The fact the he even acknowledged me as a possible candidate for the project made my heart race.
What if instead of the no, I've gotten fairly used to receiving, I actually get a yes this time? Then what?

By recieving a yes, I would have to leave my comfort zone. I would have new responsibilities, and have to demand much more of myself than I currently do. Which is exactly what I want. Yet, I couldn't shake the nervousness I was feeling. That's when I realized even though I have all of these goals and dreams, I'm scared to succeed.

Being scared to fail or succeed causes a person to procrastinate. They don't do what it takes to make their goals a reality. If their goal is to make a career change, they look up new jobs, but never actually apply. They keep coming up with excuses to not get that new cover letter written. If their goal is to begin volunteering, they talk to their friends and family about what changes need to be made in the community or world, but never actually sign up with any organization to help out. If their goal is to complete their college degree, they sign up for school, but then never go to class. You get the idea.

In the past, I have done all of the above mentioned things. Until I realized that I was doing nothing but hampering my own success. Now although I get nervous at the prospect of doing something different that will better my life, I apply for that program, complete that class, submit that piece of writing anyway.

Now that I'm actually walking through my nervousness, it feels pretty good. I am finally doing what one of my favorite books says to do...Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway.

Appreciating Your Accomplishments

What have you accomplished this year? How about in the past 5 years? Some  may say that they have not accomplished much. If you take a closer look, however, you may find that you have accomplished many new things.

 I find that when I accomplish something new I have a tendency to behave as if it is no big deal. I think to myself, "Oh anyone could have done that."

A good friend of mine pointed out  that I need to take a moment and enjoy my successes. I may not be where I want to be yet, but I am better than I used to be. If I do not appreciate what I have accomplished now, I won't appreciate it when I get to the future "there" either.

 I want to encourage you to take an assessment of where you are in your life. What great things have you accomplished? Did you learn something new? Did you create something? Did you help someone? Were you more courageous in a certain situation? Did you go back to school? Volunteer?

I'm positive if you look closely enough, you will find that you have accomplished a lot. Try making a list of 5 new things you did this year. You will be surprised by the results.

Share what new things you have accomplished this year in the comments section, so that we may all celebrate with you.