On Goal Setting and Stick-to-itiveness

Another semester has ended as well as another year. And as we await and welcome the new year, it is only natural that we reflect on the past year and begin to set goals for the future.
Over the years I have developed several strategies to plan, set goals and stick to them. The most efficient and basic of all has been to simply write it down!

Goal setting essentials:

• Journal/Notepad
• Planner

Begin by ask yourself a couple questions: What are my short-term and long-term goals? What goals have I accomplished that I had set for myself this year? What goals did I set that I did not fully accomplish this year? What new goals do I have for the upcoming year and what strategies am I going to put in place to ensure that I achieve them?
Reflect on those questions and their answers. Get a journal/notepad and write it down. Also write down ways in which you have grown in different aspects of your life. Write down ways in which you wish to improve yourself.  Make a timeline for your goals.
Now get your planner, and after filling in the important dates, deadlines, and goals for school and/or work, start filling in dates for accomplishing your intended personal goals. The planner is very helpful as it is a strategy to help keep you on task and serves as a reminder to stick to your goal.

This year, be a goal-digger!

I do wish for you all a safe, happy, enriching, productive and prosperous New Year!! 

Match Day Reflections

Today is Orthodontics residency Match Day!!

My, how time flies! Just a few short minutes ago match results were released and I have been hearing (from my friends and those who interviewed at my program) via text messaging, emails, social media, etc of the good news! I remember being in that position not so long ago. My match results were released on December 4, 2013 for a start date at my program in July 1, 2014. 

Today, as I listen to people sharing their news I can't help but reflect on the time when that was me:

I recall the nervous/anxious energy while I awaited the results. I could barely sleep the night before. I awoke at 6am ( even though results weren't slated to be released until around 8am). I remember sitting in front of my lap top, refreshing my email over and over until finally, at 8:25am the email came through:

I remember how ecstatic I was when I opened the email with the words Congratulations! 

I commend all who matched! Congratulations! Orthodontics is a very competitive program to get into. You are embarking on a very rewarding career. If any of my readers got matched today, See you on the other side!