Today I w
ant to introduce you to guest poster and former client of mine, Jessica Gonzalez (aka Jica Gonz)!
Jessica came to see me, because she wanted to optimize her blog and explore the possibility of using it as a platform for a future career in personal development.
I think she is absolutely amazing and highly motivated, because she started learning about blogging and on line marketing while she was in high school!
Of course, technology was different when I was in high school, but I wish I had started then!
Here Jessica shares why it’s so important to have a clear goal in mind and start taking small actionable steps based on her own experiences–enjoy!
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Jessica’s Story
I have finally graduated from high school–maybe that doesn’t sound like a big achievement, but it is to me.
Because now I’m finally able to make my own choices in life!
Like most graduates my age, I have dedicated a lot of time to planning my future. I’ve considered blogging about personal development as a career, studying to become a pastry chef, majoring in communications, or simply working without a further education…
But instead of taking small actionable steps towards planning for college while I was in high school, I wasn’t sure if it was right for me.
Even though I realize I have plenty of time to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, I do feel some regret that I didn’t prepare for college like most people my age.
High school ended, and I was never able to take the test that was required for college. On some level, I didn’t believe the future would ever really arrive, so I didn’t make use of my time as best as I could have.
With hindsight, I see now that I really do want the experience and education that college can provide. I want to study to become a pastry chef and continue blogging about personal development and my own experiences on my blog Basked in Sunshine.
So now I’m taking steps in that direction, even if they are a little bit later…
Below are some tips I’m using now to better plan for the future by taking small actionable steps in the present moment.
3 Powerful Tips for Taking Small Action Steps in the Present
1) Discover Your Purpose
The sooner the better!
Now that I’m clear about what I want to do, I know which small steps I need to take in the moment to get there day by day.
It’s impossible to take small action steps toward your future goal in the present moment if you don’t have a clear vision of what the end result will be.
Knowing your purpose allows you to live it in the moment and start taking action steps in the present moment to fulfill it.
If you’re not sure what your purpose is, there are many techniques to prompt you on your journey.
One such technique is to make a list of all the things you are passionate about in life.
Keep writing and adding more and more to your list. The one that makes you cry is a clue to your purpose.
Celes Chua has a detailed article about how to do this–you can check it out on her blog Personal Excellence here.
Here are some other resources for finding your purpose on Christina’s blog, Coaching With Christina:
Part I: The Beginning of Your Dream
Part II: Get Clarity on Your Dream (And What to Do if You’re Not Clear Yet)
Your Guide to Creating a Vision for 2013
New Vision for 2013: Profit From Your Creative Purpose
How to Make Money Following Your Passion
2) Write a Daily To- Do List
Now I keep a To-Do List to make sure I’m taking at least one small action step each day that will get me closer to my future goal.
Make sure to keep something you love on your To-Do List–not just chores or work-related things.
By the way, keep it simple so you don’t end up procrastinating–no more than 3-5 tasks!
3) Live Your Dream in the Present, Not in the Future
For example, if you like writing (like I do), it’s important to write each day because you want to–not because you expect to be offered a book deal in the future.
If you write (or do something else you love) each day, your skills will naturally improve.
Maybe you’ll get a book deal, maybe you won’t–but at least you’re writing each day and loving it!
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Leave a comment below if you can relate to this experience I had (of not taking action in the present moment due to lack of clarity about the future).
How did you overcome it? Share your tips as well!
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Jessica is launching a *FREE* 7-Day Wake Up Early Challenge on her blog, Basked in Sunshine starting June 16th through June 27th.
To be a part of it, visit her blog to sign up!
Stay in touch with Jessica and follow her journey by subscribing to her newsletter here:
Jessica’s Bio:
Hello! My name is Jessica González but you can just call me by my pen name, which is Jica Gonz.
I enjoy helping others, cooking, drawing, and writing fiction (you can find my stories on my blog “Aika’s Text Novels”).
I believe personal development roots from one principal element, being you.
I hope my blog “Basked in Sunshine” can gift a glitter of happiness and thoughtfulness to your day. Millions of wishes and hugs for you. 🙂
Yours truly,
Jica Gonz
This is great. Jessica is so way ahead despite not having planned for college. Many people just go there because society tells us its the next step without giving any consideration into why. My business partner actually dropped out to become an entrepreneur and follow his passions. College has it’s place and it’s great that you are going to school to learn to be a pastry chef, but after you spent time uncovering what you wanted to do. I applaud your for your courage. I am sure that you will inspire many other people, young and old, to follow their passions.
Hi Flo,
I absolutely agree with you! College is a good choice and it’s valuable to have a degree, but so many people are able to do well as self-taught entrepreneurs. It’s not the only choice, and I think Jessica is amazing for taking the time to decide what is right for *her*. It’s a hard decision to make at that age, especially when most people are doing simply what’s expected of them: to go to college. It means so much more when it’s truly a personal decision not based on anyone elses expectations.
~Christina
Hi Flo!
Thank you for your comment. It’s true that most teens graduate and go to college in auto mode without even considering how MUCH the course they choose can affect their entire lives. It’s sad when I found out some of my friends choose some random college course because they heard it was profitable and it had lots of job opportunities.
Personally I’d rather study something I like which gains less money than do something I hate my entire life and be rich. I choose my course wisely after years of indecisive thinking and experimenting with various hobbies. 🙂
Hey Jica,
It’s awesome that you have such clarity about following your heart rather than money at such a young age–it often takes going down the wrong path for a bit to realize this, but you’re already ahead of the game if you’re following your passion. Even if you change your mind later, following your desires in the moment is always the best way to honor yourself.
~Christina
I sometimes wish I had such knowledge when I was graduating. I just floundered. It’s really fun now to actually be reaching towards specifics.
You are more than halfway to your goal based on this quote: “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” Zig Ziglar
Have you heard about an unaimed arrow always hits it mark? Way to go for setting your target!
Hi Michele,
I absolutely agree! I wanted to start a business when I was in college (and especially after I graduated), but the Internet was nothing like it is now! I never imagined what kinds of possibilities would be available to me in just a few years… And I’m so inspired to see Jessica taking advantage of them at such a young age.
I never heard that before: and unaimed arrow always hits the mark? I like that, will have to ponder that a bit…
Thank you for your inspiring words–I know Jessica will appreciate them too!
~Christina
Hi Michele!
Thank you for your comment! 🙂 I like the quotations you used, they are very inspiring. I never thought about it that way. I’ll surely note them down!
What an amazing young lady! I love that blogging is a way for jessica to explore the many layers of what the choice of a career as an entreprener can bring into her life. My son is going to community college next year and it has been difficult for him to make up hiw mind. Young people have to many more choices then we did…this is postive but can also become very overwhelming. Thank you for introducing us to Jessica.
Hi Nathalie,
Yes it is so true! I still think I would have gone to college and chosen the same field of study if I could do things over again–but if I had known then what I know now about business/marketing/blogging, it might have been harder to convince myself! Not to mention the problem of student loan debt…Jessica really has a head start as an entrepreneur and has so many choices–I’m glad others can relate!
~Christina
Hi Nathalie!
You’re right about the new generation having too many options. When I was choosing what to study I literally ended up investigating around 10 colleges or more. In my case I already knew I wanted to study pastry since I just graduated with my Vocational Culinary Arts Diploma and I wanted to keep studying in that area but I wasn’t sure which college had the best academical offer for pastry chef.
Sometimes I feel that I’ve been too pampered compared to how my parents and grandparents were raised so I understand how your son feels like and ps: Thank you for your kind words!! 🙂
[…] that we can use to co-create our desires in synchronous ways. And then finally, we need to take action. We need to identify the little things we can do every day that will lead us to what we’re […]
[…] then finally, we need to take action. We need to identify the little things we can do every day that will lead us to what we’re […]