It's never too early to start thinking about your future and what you want to do!

When you’re young you might think you have all the time in the world, then all of a sudden you have to start making important choices. ‘What activities do I want to do?’ ‘Which clubs should I join?’ ‘Which subjects should I pick in school?’ Then you have to decide on further education, work experience, and careers. The trouble is that the choices we make along the way right back to the clubs we join in primary school - can affect the futures we choose for ourselves. While our future can always be altered and is our own to choose, the journey can be made much easier by planning for the future you want today.

Deciding your future 

The future you see for yourself when you’re 12 may be radically different to the one you want when you turn 17 or 22; this is inevitable. As we grow older and develop we soon learn what subjects and hobbies we enjoy and find the ones we really love, we can then shape our futures accordingly. If you are ready to plan for a successful future then here are a few suggestions to help you on your way:

• Go to a quiet place, a place where you can think for as long as you want without being interrupted. Use your time here to visualize what you want your future to be like.
• Think about what you are good at, what you enjoy doing and what you are passionate about. You’ll probably think of lots of things. Imagine an activity you would be happy to do every day, even if you weren’t getting paid to do it. It’s often said, “if you love your work you’ll never work a day in your life.”
• Speak to your parents, guardians, and friends to find out what they think you would be good at. This can help you get a clearer idea of the future you want. However, don’t let them convince you to work towards a future you don’t want for yourself.
• Write down your goals, a list of achievements or things you want to do. Maybe you love animals and want to be a vet or maybe you love looking at the stars and want to study astronomy. Having your goals written clearly on paper will help you remember to stay focus and work towards them. You could stick your paper somewhere you look every day as a constant reminder of your goals and ambitions.
• Make a plan with details of how you are going to get your dream job and your ideal future. Now you know your goals work out what you need to do to get there. Do you need to study? Join a club? Maybe you need to get tuition?
• Start your future. Start working towards your goals today, there is no time like the present to learn that instrument or try a new sport.
• Put money aside whenever you can to pay for things you might need to help you achieve your goals. If you save money whenever possible, paying for your guitar lessons or art supplies won’t be as hard as you think.
• Speak with confidence about your future goals and ambitions. People may doubt the likelihood of you achieving the future you envision, but with a little hard work and lots of perseverance you can have the future you’ve always dreamed of.

Lots of people have no idea what they want to do when they’re 12 and still don’t know what they want to do when they turn 25, and for a few, it takes a lot longer. I guess as long as what you are doing right now makes you happy then you’re on the right path.