Archive for the 'Goal Setting' Category

Set Your Goals the Easy Way

by Dick Ingersoll

What do top-caliber athletes, thriving businessmen, and all types of achievers in varied fields have in common?

They all have successfully learned the essentials of goal setting.

Your goals afford short and long-term motivation and focus. A strong center point will help point out your strengths and opportunities for enhancement. This will help you establish the skills that you need to develop. Similarly, it helps you plan and organize your resources to get the most out of your life.

You need to set clearly defined short and long-term goals to be able to calculate your progress and attain personal satisfaction. Charting your advancements will also eliminate the feeling of long and pointless grind towards attaining your goal. Your self-confidence and level of proficiency will also improve, as you become more conscious of your capabilities while you go for your goals.

Goal setting involves a decision about what you really want to achieve. After this, you need to break it down into smaller and manageable targets that you must finish to achieve your lifetime goals.

Other people further breakdown these objectives into daily and weekly goals. This gives the assurance that you will always be heading towards your life plan. Every day gives the opportunity to complete a certain goal.

Some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals are the following:

Understand that outlook plays a really big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself, “Is there something preventing you from reaching your simplest goals? Does your behavior deter you or put your plans into disarray?” The immediate thing to do is to deal with the issue by changing your outlook and behavior. It may include a visit to a doctor or mental health professional to help you control your emotions.

Practice good time management. Career failures are often attributed to bad time management. Pursuing a career requires a lot from you; this becomes a key part of your life. Decide how far you want to advance in your chosen career.

Seek constant progress. Nonstop learning is one of the main keys in reaching your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree, specialization, or skill, make plans to get the proper education.

Seek support. Include your family and close friends in your plans. They can be a source of help, especially during difficult times.

Be flexible. Always look-over your plans and be ready for contingencies.

Be logical and consider necessary resources. Personal financial situations play a huge role in the achievement of your goals.

Physically gifted individuals’ achieve| sports-related goals like being part of the National Basketball association or National Football League. Part of being sensible is to figure out your physical capabilities. Physical boundaries could be overcome with proper planning.

Have fun. As the saying goes: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Taking a break or having fun should be part of your plans.

There you have it. You can start achieving your lifetime goals by preparing a ten-year plan. Break down this plan to five-year plans and twelve-month plans. The twelve-month plan can be further broken down into semester, monthly, weekly and daily plans. It is just an issue of organization.

The fundamentals of goal setting should not be so difficult once you get to be familiar with them.

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Jim Rohn’s Secret of Success

by Brian Sylvan

Jim Rohn, one of the country’s leading experts on success and personal development, stated that the one reason why people don’t succeed is NEGLECT.

Does that mean that the secret of success then is the opposite of neglect? The thesaurus states the antonym of neglect is to care for or to look after. But this does clear things up to much. Perhaps looking to Jim Rohn’s wisdom will help us understand.

Jim Rohn was a millionaire by the age of 31. He attributes his success to his ability to look after or care for the success characteristics others neglected.

While his friends neglected to listen to successful people, Jim Rohn looked after this asked of his life.

While his friends neglected to set goals, Jim Rohn carefully cultivated his goals.

Jim Rohn read good books to improve his intellect and his attitude. His friends neglected to pick up the right kinds of books, or any books at all.

Rohn points out opportunities exist all around us. There’s plenty of money in the world. There are plenty of changes at education. There are plenty of jobs out there. There are an infinite number of different types of careers to try.

So why do we fail? Why do we live mediocre lives? Because we neglect.

We neglect to live our lives. We neglect to surround ourselves with people who will help us succeed. We neglect to set meaningful goals and then to strive to achieve them. We neglect to work on our attitudes. We neglect…

Neglect will tear you down. Every time you neglect something in your life, you open your soul to decay. Eventually, you won’t recognize the person you’ve become.

Your self-confidence will wane. Your faith in yourself and others will diminish. Where you once were positive and full of dreams and hope, you will have become negative, pessimistic, and cynical.

If you want to break the cycle of neglect in your life, you need to get in the habit of action. “Just do it,” like the old Nike ads admonished. Study the habits of successful people. Do what they do.

Acting will remove neglect from your life. Period. So start doing something. Now.

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Setting Your Goals - Easier Said Easily Done

by Dick Ingersoll

The basics of setting a goal is an well known secret known by top of the line athletes, successful businessmen and businesswomen and all types of achievers in all the different fields. The basics of setting goals provide you short-term and long-term inspiration and focus. They assist you in focusing on the achievement of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the most out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to assess your growth and gain self satisfaction once you have successfully achieved your goals. Mapping your growth will also enable you to visually see the phases of completion leading to the genuine realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and meaningless grind towards reaching your goal. Your confidence and level of competence will also progress as you will be more aware of your abilities as you complete or attain your goals.

The basics of goal settings will include choosing what you really want to do with the rest of your life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and more manageable targets that you must finish in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your target list waste no time in taking on your goals.

A good way to have a workable target list is to have a day-by-day and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of progressing towards your life plan goals. Each day will give you the opportunity to fulfill a predetermined goal awarding you the feeling of accomplishment.

Here are some details that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and accomplishing them.

Self-projection plays a very key role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind is holding you back towards completing your simplest goals. If there are any aspects of your behavior that is being an obstacle or puts your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas then the first thing to do is to tackle this problem. Solutions may possibly involve a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.

Careers are made by positive time management practice. Failing in a career is often associated with bad time management. Careers require a lot from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far you want to advance into your career.

Education is key in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a specific kind of degree or require a certain specialization or demand a special skill to be developed, make plans towards obtaining the appropriate education.

Your family should never be omitted from your plans. If you are just beginning then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent. You also have to know if you honestly would be a good parent and how well would you relate to extended family members

Personal finance issues also play a major role in accomplishing your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be capable of creating plans or stages by which you will be able to achieve your earning potential.

Physically talented individuals should be able to achieve athletic related goals such as being in the National Basketball association or National Football League. Determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Physical could however dissipate with the right planning.

As a wise man once said -’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Allotting time to give yourself a little pleasure: should be worked into your plans.

To start obtaining your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6-month plans then 30 day plans, then 7 day, then daily.

Then create a goal sheet for the day.

Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies.

The basics of goal settings should not be so frustrating once you get to be familiar with them.

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The Secret of Success from Jim Rohn

by Brian Sylvan

Jim Rohn, one of the country’s leading experts on success and personal development, stated that the one reason why people don’t succeed is NEGLECT.

So his secret of success is to not neglect. Right. Do the opposite. A quick trip to the thesaurus reveals that the antonym, or opposite, of neglect is the care for or to look after. Are there things in your life that you should look after that you have been neglecting?

Jim Rohn was a millionaire by the age of 31. He attributes his success to his ability to look after or care for the success characteristics others neglected.

Jim took care of listening to successful people.

While his friends neglected to set goals, Jim Rohn carefully cultivated his goals.

Jim Rohn read good books to improve his intellect and his attitude. His friends neglected to pick up the right kinds of books, or any books at all.

There are enough opportunities, money, education, and jobs for everyone. There’s no shortage. Don’t blame you lack of success of some external factor. You know the old saying, “The buck stops here.” If you’re not achieving the kind of success that you want in your like, take ownership of it.

Why don’t we succeed? We neglect.

We neglect to try new things. We neglect to seek mentors. We neglect to ignore the naysayers. We neglect to work. We neglect to set goals. We neglect to keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

The problem with neglect is that it affects us, well, negatively. We suffer. Not usually in a physical way, but maybe, if you neglect to exercise and eat right.

Your self-confidence will wane. Your faith in yourself and others will diminish. Where you once were positive and full of dreams and hope, you will have become negative, pessimistic, and cynical.

If you want to break the cycle of neglect in your life, you need to get in the habit of action. “Just do it,” like the old Nike ads admonished. Study the habits of successful people. Do what they do.

Start something now. Neglect no more. You have the chance to do something great with your life.

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Who’s the Boss?” 10 Ways to Start Taking Control

by Dick Ingersoll

At first glimpse, it would appear that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But a lot of us with ADD acquire negative thinking patterns as we become defeated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even more difficult for us to manage those challenges and move forward.

Practicing positive thinking allows people with ADD to focus on our strengths and achievements, which increases happiness and motivation. This, successively, allows us to pass more time gaining progress, and less time feeling down and perplexed. The following tips supply practical suggestions that you can use to help shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself - It’s much easier to be optimistic when you are eating well, working out, and getting plenty of rest.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You’re Grateful For - Stresses and challenges don’t appear quite as bad when you are unceasingly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking only 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make an immense difference.

3. Look for the Proof Rather Than Making Assumptions - A fear of not being liked or accepted occasionally leads us to assume that we know what other people are thinking, but our concerns are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member’s bad humor flows from something you did, or that your colleagues are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don’t waste time distressing that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there’s something to worry about.

4. Refrain from Practicing Absolutes - Have you ever told a partner “You’re ALWAYS late!” or complained to a friend “You NEVER call me!”? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like ‘always’ and ‘never’ makes the situation look tougher than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

5. Detach From Negative Thoughts - Your thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. Whenever you notice yourself holding a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don’t follow it.

6. Squash the “ANTs” - In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” Dr. Daniel Amen discusses “ANTs” - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are normally reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be discussing me,” or “The boss would like to talk to me? It must be negative!” When you become aware of these thoughts, realize that they’re nothing more than ANTs and squash them!

7. Practice Lovin’, Touchin’ & Squeezin’ (Your Friends and Family) - You don’t have to be an expert to recognize the benefits of a good hug. Supportive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch a few of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn’t touch!

8. Increase Your Social Activity - By expanding social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, cheerful people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person - Everyone feels better after assisting. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the universe, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination - If you find yourself ruminating, an excellent way to end it is to disturb the pattern and push yourself to do something entirely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It’s never productive, because it is not rational or solution-oriented, it is just excessive concern. Try changing your physical surroundings - go for a walk or sit outdoors. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

When it concerns the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the fundamentals of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire path to true productivity. There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they’re uncommon ones and we are human and flawed. To get these little things like stress under our skins won’t solve our problems. Occasionally it takes a bit of courage to admit that we’re turning into workaholics than tell ourselves that we’re not doing our best.

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How to Use Goal Setting to Reduce Debt

by Dick Ingersoll

Is goal setting a valid strategy to reduce debt? Personal financial debt can appear overwhelming on occasion. It can cause much frustration and tension in our lives. As a matter of fact, financial troubles are one of the leading causes of divorce in this country. Debt can also lead to poor health.

There is a way out of debt. It takes three steps. First, you must admit that you have too much debt. Next, you must commit to taking the required activities to reduce your debt. Finally, you must employ goal setting to establish a step-by-step plan to get out of debt.

The first step in goal setting for debt reduction is to analyze how much debt you have. Most people are not mindful of the total debt they face. This adds to your stress because ignoring a problem does not make it go away. Most experts propose making a chart or spreadsheet that lists all of your creditors and the total you owe. Also list the interest rate of each debt. Then prioritize which creditors you need to pay off first.

The next step in debt reduction goal setting is to determine the minimum payment each creditor will consent to. List that on the chart or spreadsheet. Remember that if you only make the minimum payment each month, your finance charges will eat up most, if not all, of your payment. There are a number of free debt reduction calculators available on the web. This will help you determine how much additional you need to pay. It will also help you with your goal setting efforts.

At this point, many people feel completely overcome by the amount of debt they may be confronting. If you find yourself in this position, you might want to think about a credit counseling or debt consolidation service. There are several good ones available. Check with you local Better Business Bureau and online to make the decision which is the correct choice for you.

In your goal setting and analysis, you may determine that you are not able to afford to make any increase in your current debt reduction payments. This is not necessarily true. Review your current family budget and search for areas where small adjustments can be made. Remember, it only takes a few dollars added to your monthly debt payments to make a difference.

Other goal setting suggestions for debt reduction are to reduce your expenses. Examine your utility expenses. This is an area we have a little control. Also take a look at reducing your grocery spending. Buy solely those items you truly need by avoiding impulse items. Shopping at wholesale warehouse club stores will usually save you money. Throw away your credit cards. Drastic but it works. Carry only one major credit card and use it only for emergencies.

Goal setting will help you stay motivated to reduce your debt. Place your chart or spreadsheet so that it is visible. Break your goals into small chunks. This will produce some easy wins. Record those wins on your chart. It’s also important that you give yourself rewards for accomplishing those goals. This will help you stay motivated. Goal setting to reduce your debt can be enjoyable if it is approached with the right intent. Finally, statistics indicate that the majority of people who apply goal setting to reduce their debt are debt free in three to four years. In the scheme of things, that is a very short time.

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Learn How to Set New Years Goals

by Dick Ingersoll

It happens every January. New Year’s goal setting, otherwise knows as New Year’s resolutions. It seems that a large percentage of us experience a burst of creative energy right after the holidays and begin to set idealistic goals for ourselves. We decide to lose ten pounds, change jobs, or completely alter our lives.

What’s wrong with us? Do we have some kind of weird masochistic tendencies that lie concealed in our DNA all year long until January comes around? We must. It’s a sad reality that New Year’s resolutions are usually temporary if not completely forgotten by February. Are we doomed to and endless circle of goal setting and failure?

Can we really make goal setting for the New Year successful? Can we break the chain of pitiful failure? Yes, the good news is that we can be successful with our New Year goal setting. We can succeed if we follow a few simple steps.

In goal setting, the first thing you must do is select goals that are believable and possible for you. They have to be the proper goals for the right reasons. If you don’t think that you can accomplish them, then you are doomed from the beginning. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds this year and you don’t think you’ll be able to do it, then you’ve set yourself up for failure.

Effective goal setting has to include thought and deliberation. Think long and hard about what you would like to accomplish. Decide that the goal you have chosen has significance for you and you’re willing to commit to achieving it.

Make your goals achievable but not so low that they lose significance for you. Then again, don’t set them so high that you get disheartened. This is a tricky area of goal setting. The solution is to break your goals down into smaller chunks that you can achieve. For example, if you goal is to lose 10 pounds, then set a reachable goal of one or two pounds a week. This will help keep you motivated.

Another technique for goal setting is to be specific. Set a date that you would like to reach a specific goal and then work backward, breaking it down in to smaller chunks. If your New Year’s goal is to “lose weight,” then you’re defeated before you start. It is more powerful to decide that you would like to lose ten pounds by March 1st. Stating it this way makes the goal concrete and believable to you. You’re much more likely to achieve a specific goal with a time frame than a vaguely stated goal.

Write your goals down and post them, so that you see them often. This reinforces your goal setting. You could try standing in front of a mirror and saying your goals out loud every day. This also makes your goals a formal commitment. Don’t give up. Goal setting can help us make positive changes in our lives if we follow a few easy rules.

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Would You Like to Set Your New Years Goals

by Dick Ingersoll

It happens every January. New Year’s goal setting, otherwise knows as New Year’s resolutions. It seems that a large percentage of us experience a burst of creative energy right after the holidays and begin to set idealistic goals for ourselves. We decide to lose ten pounds, change jobs, or completely alter our lives.

What’s wrong with us? Do we have some kind of strange masochistic propensities that lie concealed in our DNA all year long until January comes around? We must. It’s a sad reality that New Year’s resolutions are generally short-lived if not completely forgotten by February. Are we doomed to and eternal circle of goal setting and failure?

Can we actually make goal setting for the New Year successful? Can we interrupt the chain of miserable failure? Yes, the good news is that we can be successful with our New Year goal setting. We can succeed if we follow a few simple steps.

In goal setting, the first thing you must do is pick goals that are plausible and possible for you. They have to be the proper goals for the right reasons. If you don’t believe that you can accomplish them, then you’re doomed from the beginning. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds this year and you don’t believe you can do it, then you’ve set yourself up for failure.

Effective goal setting has to include thought and deliberation. Think long and hard about what you want to accomplish. Make a decision that the goal you have chosen has significance for you and you are willing to commit to achieving it.

Make your goals realizable but not so low that they lose significance for you. Then again, don’t set them so high that you become disheartened. This is a tricky area of goal setting. The answer is to break your goals down into smaller chunks that you can achieve. For example, if you goal is to lose 10 pounds, then set a reachable goal of one or two pounds a week. This will help keep you motivated.

Another strategy for goal setting is to be specific. Set a date that you would like to reach a specific goal and then work backward, breaking it down in to smaller chunks. If your New Year’s goal is to “lose weight,” then you’re defeated before you begin. It is more effective to decide that you would like to lose ten pounds by March 1st. Stating it this way makes the goal solid and believable to you. You are much more likely to accomplish a specific goal with a time frame than a vaguely stated goal.

Write your goals down and post them, so that you see them often. This reinforces your goal setting. You could try standing in front of a mirror and saying your goals out loud each day. This also makes your goals a formal commitment. Don’t give up. Goal setting can help us make positive changes in our lives if we follow a few simple rules.

About the Author:

Goal Setting is the Key to Debt Reduction

by Dick Ingersoll

Is goal setting a valid strategy to reduce debt? Personal financial debt can appear overwhelming on occasion. It can cause much frustration and tension in our lives. As a matter of fact, financial troubles are one of the leading causes of divorce in this country. Debt can also lead to poor health.

There is a way out of debt. It takes three steps. First, you must admit that you have too much debt. Next, you must commit to taking the required activities to reduce your debt. Finally, you must employ goal setting to establish a step-by-step plan to get out of debt.

The first step in goal setting for debt reduction is to analyze how much debt you have. Most people are not mindful of the total debt they face. This adds to your stress because ignoring a problem does not make it go away. Most experts propose making a chart or spreadsheet that lists all of your creditors and the total you owe. Also list the interest rate of each debt. Then prioritize which creditors you need to pay off first.

The next step in debt reduction goal setting is to determine the minimum payment each creditor will accept. List that on the chart or spreadsheet. Keep in mind that if you only make the minimum payment each month, your finance charges will eat up most, if not all, of your payment. There are a number of free debt reduction calculators accessible on the web. This will help you determine how much additional you need to pay. It will also help you with your goal setting endeavors.

At this point, a lot of people feel completely overwhelmed by the amount of debt they may be facing. If you find yourself in this spot, you might want to think about a credit counseling or debt consolidation service. There are several good ones available. Check with you local Better Business Bureau and online to decide which is right for you.

In your goal setting and analysis, you may decide that you are not able to afford to make any increase in your current debt reduction payments. This isn’t necessarily true. Review your present household budget and search for areas where small modifications can be made. Remember, it only takes a few dollars added to your monthly debt payments to make a difference.

Other goal setting suggestions for debt reduction are to reduce your expenses. Examine your utility expenses. This is an area we have a little control. Also take a look at reducing your grocery spending. Buy solely those items you truly need by avoiding impulse items. Shopping at wholesale warehouse club stores will usually save you money. Throw away your credit cards. Drastic but it works. Carry only one major credit card and use it only for emergencies.

Goal setting will help you stay motivated to reduce your debt. Place your chart or spreadsheet so that it is visible. Divide your goals into small chunks. This will create some easy wins. Record those wins on your chart. It is also valuable that you give yourself rewards for accomplishing those goals. This will help you stay motivated. Goal setting to reduce your debt can be fun if it’s approached with the right intent. Last, statistics show that most people who apply goal setting to reduce their debt are debt free in three to four years. In the scheme of things, that’s a very short time.

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Can Goal Setting be used to Complete Your Education

by Dick Ingersoll

There is an old saying that says it’s never too late to follow your dreams. This is very true when it comes to completing your post high school college degree. Several adults drop out of college for different reasons and then wish later that they had completed their degrees. The truth is that you can still complete your college degree no matter what your age or circumstances. This is where goal setting can help you attain your dreams.

A college degree will enhance your life in ways that you can’t even imagine. Not only will it give you more options in your life, it will also help raise your feeling of self-worth and self-confidence. That alone will have big payoffs. Statistically those with a bachelor’s degree will make about $1,000,000 more in their lifetimes than those who don’t. That’s a huge plus for completing your degree.

Goal setting for returning to college to finish your degree requires several steps in order to be successful. First, make a list of all of the obstacles you are facing to complete your goal. Secondly, brainstorm ideas for overcoming those obstacles. Each person’s circumstances are different. However, there are some basic goal setting ideas that apply to just about every one.

For starters, the majority of states have a two year community college system. If you live close to a major city, there is usually one within driving distance. Many returning students begin there. The reason is that it is not as costly as a four year college or university. Set an appointment to talk with a counselor at the school closest to you. This person will be able to assist you with your goal setting by pointing out options.

One of the advantages of the community college system is that you don’t have to have a high school diploma to be able to attend. All you have to be is eighteen or older. Be sure and include this option in your goal setting.

The next step in your goal setting to is to decide which option is most beneficial for you. Many colleges and universities give the choice of online degree programs for those people who don’t have easy access to a college campus. You might keep in mind the combining of online and classroom classes. Again, a counselor will be able to assist you. Just make sure that the courses you have opted for are transferable to the degree that you have chosen as your goal.

Finding the time in your busy adult schedule is an obstacle that you will face in goal setting. You will want the help and assistance of your family and friends to reach your goal. Make sure everybody in your family is onboard and supports you. Everybody will have to make sacrifices, but they won’t be insurmountable.

Goal setting should include everyone in your family. They need to have some ownership in your goal. Sit down with your family and look over the individual days and the weeks in your schedule. You will find the time if you look hard enough.

The good news is that you have many more possibilities available to you in your goal setting than were available even a few years ago. Night classes are usually available. There are also some colleges that make available weekend classes for working adults. Many colleges and universities are now offering accelerated courses where you focus on only one or two subjects at a time until those are finished.

Most colleges have support groups available for adults who are returning to school after long periods of time. Take advantage of them. They can offer resources that you probably weren’t aware of in your initial planning. Remember, are able to attain your goal of a college degree and goal setting will help you reach your dream.

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