Pursue your goal when the time is right

After a 10-year hiatus from higher education, I'm strongly considering going back to school next year and pursuing a master's degree in English. Considering I bought three prep books earlier in the week to help me prepare for the Graduation Record Examinations (GRE) -- which my program of interest requires a good score on in order to be accepted -- I'd say that shows I'm pretty serious about taking the plunge.

Sometimes I regret waiting so long to get my master's -- then I remind myself that it was ultimately a wise choice. Not only have I been able to gain ample work experience in my field, but the money I would have used on the master's has instead gone towards major life events like getting married, buying a home, and taking a few bucket list vacations. With no debt to speak of (mortgage notwithstanding), I'm in a much better financial position now to get a master's than I would have been if I'd gone to grad school right after earning my bachelor's.

Whether it's our finances, family life, or demanding jobs that force us to put off pursuing a particular goal, we all have legitimate reasons for doing so. For example, you might shelve plans to buy a car you've been eyeing until you build up your savings enough to feel comfortable making such an investment.

What we should never do, however, is fail to work toward achieving that goal for one or more of these reasons:

Sheer laziness
A defeatist attitude
Fear of change
Being ready, but still not wanting to commit

There's an obvious difference between "not being ready" because you have several things you genuinely intend to iron out first, and saying you're not ready as an excuse to justify not taking action.

For instance, let's say Sally plans to go on a diet and says she wants to wait until she's saved up enough to renew her gym membership, as she finds that eating less goes hand in hand with vigorous exercise.

Would you say her reason for putting off the diet is valid?

While she demonstrates that she's responsible with her finances, what's stopping her from taking a jog around the park or even exercising at home in the interim? And no one says she needs to have an active gym membership in order to watch what she eats.

As for me, even though I've been out of school for ten years now, I've still found other ways to indulge my academic tendencies in my spare time, like managing this blog, reading countless books, watching documentaries, and visiting museums. Not being in school shouldn't preclude me from using my own devices to gain knowledge.

I know that deep down, it would be a shame if someone as intellectually curious as I am didn't get a master's. I love learning and feel the time is right to scratch it off my Bucket List, so why not?

Once you know you're ready to begin working toward a goal, don't wait any longer or you may never get around to it. And when you find yourself making excuses for why you shouldn't go for it, remind yourself that life is too short to squander any window of opportunity.

Even if things don't work out as planned, you'll at least take pride and pleasure in the fact that you gave it a shot and won't be left wondering "what if."

Whatever your goals, I wish you much luck and success!

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

This will spell the end of your relationship

When asked to think about the most common culprits for a relationship's going south, most people will point to cheating, complacency, and taking one's partner for granted. While these are all valid -- and documented in various posts on this blog -- there are certain habits on the part of partners that may not kill the relationship right away, but cause it to erode more gradually. Among the most egregious of these is expecting your significant other to be perfect. They pick at your follies any chance they get. Nothing you do is ever good enough. In fact, you will never measure up to an ex, neighbor, or accomplished co-worker. Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar. When you feel as though you're constantly being put under the microscope, it can inflict lasting damage on the relationship and your self-esteem. You're walking on eggshells all the time, praying you don't say or do something that's going to trigger your partner. This is no way to live, let alone ca...

How To Understand People

Search This Blog