Whether you’re a senior hunting for jobs, a junior searching for an internship, a sophomore lost in the world, or a freshman trying to figure out how to navigate Lower, we’re all thinking about the future at BC. While we’re often told to live in the moment and experience the present, it’s hard not to look into the future when a) it is necessary and b) everyone else is doing it. Although thinking about the future temporarily removes you from the present, it is also a responsible choice. How can we improve and move forward if we’re not a bit forward thinking to begin with?
While considering the future is often intimidating, it is also empowering. It forces you to admit where and who you want to be, in turn causing you to map out how you will arrive at your destination. In my Capstone class, we recently completed an exercise titled “Ten Years Out,” in which you respond to a number of prompts regarding your future plans and aspirations. At first, the exercise was daunting and seemed a bit ridiculous; how am I supposed to know where I’ll be in ten years? After working on the assignment for a few minutes, I was absorbed by it and excited to be considering my future. For some of us, where we actually are in ten years may be very different from where we want to be. However, others may find that they are exactly where they wanted to be.
Ask yourself the following eleven questions and start thinking about the life that you want to live. How will you get there? Who will you be? What are your aspirations? Be honest; don’t be afraid to write down what you truly want, even if it is a house in Westchester with 2.5 kids, a golden retriever, and a part-time teaching job at an elementary school.
Dr. Brad Harrington, Executive Director of the Boston College Center for Work and Family, developed these questions:
1. What is the current date? How old are you? (Ex: October 20, 2024, I am 31 years old.)
2. Where and in what kind of environment are you living?
3. What is your family situation?
4. What kind of work are you doing?
5. Describe the institution/organization you work for.
6. What does your workplace look like? What kind of building do you work in? Where is it located? Is the environment urban, rural, etc.?
7. Describe a typical workday/week.
8. Do you work standard hours or is your schedule flexible?
9. Describe your lifestyle. Do you have much leisure time and if so how do you spend it?
10. What is your current financial situation?
11. Are you as happy as you thought you would be? Why or why not
I suggest printing out and saving the exercise once you’re finished. Put it in a safe place where you know it could potentially be kept for ten years and examine it ten years from today. Is your life what you thought it would be? Only time will tell.
Sources:
http://blog.atrinternational.com/bid/169847/The-Future-of-Temporary-Staffing
www2.bc.edu/brad-harrington/