Goals are important because that is how we get where we want to in life. Without them, we end up with nothing. So how do you set a goal? And what are the steps to go through?
First, you must decide what that goal is. With this step, you need to be direct. If you choose a goal that is too broad, you won’t know what steps are to help you achieve that goal.
For example: If you want to be a nurse. What kind of nurse do you want to be? This may be where you want to do a little research. Check out the kinds of nursing jobs available, what degree you will have to have, what the different kinds of nurses do, what are their average pay ranges. How many hours do they work? Do they work in a doctors office, hospital, or another facility? Do they deal with patients or are they considered management? Pick something you would like to do. After all a job is much more fun if you like what you are doing.
Second, what steps do you need to reach your goal. Becoming a nurse is a long-term goal, so what are some short-term goals that you can do that will help you reach this goal? This is where you might want to do some research to see what the goal entails. Get information from schools where you can get your nursing degree, so you know what classes you need to take, how long it will take and how much it is going to cost. Right now, you are just gathering information, so don’t worry about the how right now, just gather the information. Once you have all the information, then list the steps to take.
- Get enrolled in school.
- Figure out how to pay for it. (often the school can help you with this, but also look in the community to see if you can find programs that might help you pay for it.) AZ Career Pathways is a community program that helps people get out of poverty and who might not be able to attend school any other way.
- Sign up for the classes you need. The school may have a preferred curriculum or you may have classes to choose from but get signed up.
- Get a part time job or a volunteer position where you might learn more about your occupation. Doing while you are learning will help you retain information and give you experience for when you get out and are looking for a job. (just don’t overdo it. You want to be able to finish school. That is your priority.)
- Set up a schedule so you know when your classes are, when you are going to study, when you are going to sleep (this is very important, if you are going to learn) and last but not least you need some fun activities for relaxation. By setting a schedule, you will be able to make sure that you get everything done and will have a more balanced, more rounded experience.
Third, you need to re-evaluate every so often. Whether it is when you feel like the schedule is out of control, maybe you aren’t getting all the homework done, or even going through between semesters or terms. You have to review your goal to keep yourself motivated and headed towards to desired target.
Fourth, Set, dates of when the goal is going to be achieved. You can do this by figuring out when your course of study will be over, when individual semesters are completed. Showing the dates of the accomplishments will help you see that you are getting to your goal. This helps you to see that you are reaching it. It will make you feel better when you can see that you are getting somewhere.
Fifth, When, you reach small goals, give yourself credit. If you pass a hard class, frame the test with the grade on it. Keep a bulletin board with all your accomplishments on it. Take yourself out for ice cream or dinner when you get through the semester. You can find all kinds of things to award yourself for doing a good job. That will make it easier to go on and complete the next step.
These steps will work on any goal you want to set. Whether it is completing school, learning a craft, or losing weight. Once you achieve one goal, set another one. Most importantly have fun and get direction in your life.
We all know that to make more money, we need to have some sort of education. Whether we go to a trade school, or college, it is important to learn so that we can earn enough money to take care of ourselves and our families. So, how do we get money to go to school? There are a lot of different ways, to get money for school, however, you may have to look for them. Sometimes it takes more than one form to get enough money to pay for it all. 
usually have lower fixed interest rates and payments can be set by income. They also allow you to wait to make payments until 6 months after you graduate or stop going to school. (It is important to note, that even if you don’t graduate, you still must pay the loans. Make sure you graduate so that you will have the income to pay the loans.) You can fill out the paperwork to see if you qualify for these options at the Government website 
They will also send the information to the schools you have chosen. The school will then take that information and see if they have other options that you also may qualify for. Sometimes schools have their own loan or grant options where their alumni are donating money to help students get through school so there may be additional money there. You might also want to check with the school to see if there are scholarships available that you can apply for.
Another way for money is through Private loans. Loans through the school may be private loans. Banks will also have student loans that they offer. Before you agree to any loans, you need to make sure you understand the rules of repayment. Some private loans may require repayment while you are in school, so you need to be sure you can afford to make those payments while you are in school.
Mexican-American, African American, Native American, Hawaiian, Jewish, Irish, etc. there are scholarships for you. You can also find scholarships for math, science and technology. There are scholarships for adult learners, for moms, for specific degree programs or for hobbies you might be good at. They are vast and could be for almost anything. Some scholarships require you to write an essay, but there are many who do not. So, if you are not really good at writing, don’t worry, there is probably something out there for you. I have listed some scholarship links below. However, this is not even close to an exhaustive list. Go to 
can do things that make you feel good. You can buy the things you need. This goes much beyond the basics of food, shelter and clothing. This means you can go out to dinner when you don’t feel like cooking. You can buy nice things to put in your home to make it a nice place to be. You can pay for things such as dance lessons, karate lessons, gym memberships and music lessons that give you a little exercise and make you and your family feel better. This contributes to your mental and physical well being. It makes for a better life.
or how to cook something new. I really enjoy learning. I think this is something that most humans do, once they have had the opportunity to do it. Think of something you would like to learn. Do you like to help others? (nursing, doctor, psychology,) Do you like to build things? (computers, engineering, architecture) Do you like to be creative? (web design, architecture) Do you like to organize? (project management, legal assistant) These are just a few. There are so many other things. How can you change what you like into a career?
I’d like to start by giving thanks to every individual who has made Arizona Career Pathways (ACP) what it is today. I would also like to thank these individuals for blessing me with the opportunity to be a part of this program and provide me with many of the tools necessary for academic achievement. The success I have had in this program is a direct reflection of the program’s success, itself.
