By Vweta Ariwmugbovbe
“Teenhood is not the easiest place to be. I know, I lived there for eight years.” – Vweta Ariemugbovbe.
As the hormones surging through your veins begins to settle and you begin to gain mastery over your emotions, you will find that it is not only an exciting period but also the best time to begin to plan your future because of its very fleeting nature.
You may feel despaired as you try to find yourself and your place in the world. So I have outlined four easy steps to make your journey easier.
- Create some ‘me’ time to contemplate what and who you want to become.
Efe Mike-Ifeta has this advice for you: “What would the world be missing if I wasn’t here? This is as good as any question to set us (you) off on the journey of self-actualisation and our answers are even more important.”
Put simply, what can you do wholeheartedly and enjoy doing even without being paid? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Write these questions and the answers you come up with and keep them somewhere accessible as reminders.
- Talk with your parents, guardians, counsellors about your dreams and aspirations and ask their advise on how you can achieve these. Remember, they went through this phase too.
- Create a roadmap on how to reach your goal. Identifying what you want out of your life is very important, so also is having a plan on how to reach your destination. This map can be reviewed and updated as necessary. It will serve you well to keep your goal in mind at all times.
- Surround yourself with kindred spirits. Congratulations! This is the best path. As you settle into becoming the adult you have set out to be, remember to surround yourself with people with the same passions and goals as you. Be mindful of who your role models are, the books you read, the company you keep at all times. In this age of social media, sometimes all it takes is one inappropriate status update to jeopardise your future.
These words of Raquel Jacobs rings true: “Love your teenage years, it’ll fly by quickly and before you know it, you are an adult and sometimes you’ll want to be a teenager once again.”
Remember, “Your future begins with your next thought” – Bryant McGill.
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