I always see the "ember" months (as September, October, November, and December are together called in my country, Nigeria) as a time for sober reflection and evaluation as we approach the end of the year. It is a time to look back and appreciate oneself for the accomplishments, while also admonishing oneself to try and achieve those goals that are yet to be achieved.
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I have a habit of writing down my goals at the beginning of the year. This has helped me over the years to choose and plan my life better by knowing what steps I will need to take to achieve my goals. Just as Peter Drucker will say “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. Most of my goals as of January were short-term, with very few long-term goals. These goals included: having a publication as a roundup of my master's program; exploring new teaching methods by attending trainings and workshops; networking; and developing my skills, to mention but a few.
Setting goals is easy, but executing them requires real hard work. At first, everything seemed to be going as planned, but in May, everything changed completely. The dwindling economy could give one a heart attack. The constant increase in the prices of goods and services felt like a nightmare. Before the sudden change in the economy, mainly due to the sudden removal of fuel (PMS) subsidies by the government, paying for an online course was very affordable. Will I be able to achieve my goals? I used to wonder. Was I to just allow what was going on in the country to make me forget my goals? Then, I had specially written down each goal to help me become great in life, so I was still very optimistic.
At some point, everything became overwhelming and tiring, but thankfully, most of my goals were short-term, so I was able to achieve some of them. Getting certifications as an Orton-Gillingham dyslexia instructor and Montessori educator was very fulfilling, as these trainings have helped me create an academically engaging learning environment that fosters curiosity and creativity, making the learning process interesting as it applied to the classroom teaching job I am currently engaged in.
Carrying out research in the laboratory for a year or more is one thing; letting the world see the outcome of the research is beyond satisfying. Publishing one of my manuscripts in the tropical journal of health sciences and also getting an acceptance letter for my abstract from the Nigeria Society for Microbiology for the 44th Annual Conference for an oral presentation through one of my supervisors was a joy I could not contain.
Another goal that I am almost through with, and hopefully by month's end I should be done with, is the online diction class coaching I signed up for as a language enthusiast and phonetician. As a language enthusiast and phonetician, I am passionate about young students’ language mastery and helping them become confident and eloquent speakers wherever they find themselves without being shy. So far, I am proud of my little wins.
Joining the hive blockchain was a plan I added to my 'bucket list' sometime in April. My goal for the remainder part of the year is to reach 500 HP as I try to post consistently (so help me, God),and engage effectively.
Thank you for reading, I look forward to your comments😊.