30 Days to a Change: Breaking Down Big Goals Can Help You Achieve Them

It’s not uncommon, especially around birthdays, holidays, or other big events, to start thinking about where you are, and where you can make some improvements. Being a goal-oriented person myself, I am usually drafting a list of monthly goals and a few resolutions for the year ahead. But this year, I am ahead of the game; I am working toward my degree at CSU Global, thanks to a realization last year that I needed to make a change.

In August, I found myself frustrated at work with no end in sight. I had been in my current position for a year and only got the job due to a fortunate connection; my employment was not based on my qualifications for the position. Financially, my family struggles. The distance between entry-level income and management-level income is vast, and in order to advance career-wise, I needed a degree. I have an associate’s degree, but I needed a bachelor’s.

I knew the time had come to go back to school.

As a full-time working mother of three, I knew this decision would require sacrifice on my part and my family’s part. If I left it too long, I knew I would never act on it. I had to set a deadline.

I made a mental commitment: 30 Days to a Change.

I gave myself one month to make decisions and take action. I challenged myself to do one proactive thing every day to move toward the goal of returning to school. It turned out to be a great way to accomplish something I would have otherwise struggled with, or not accomplished at all.  Here’s how it played out for me, and it will hopefully serve as a great guide for you:

Day 1

The very first thing I did was fill out an online FAFSA. I knew that I would qualify for some financial assistance just based on my age. I also knew my family’s income would not support finishing my college education. I have three kids heading to college themselves in a few years. I cannot take on any debt for my own education without impacting theirs.

The FAFSA was crucial, so I did it first. It was also an easily identifiable goal, which helped me to feel as though I was making progress from the very start.

Day 2

I had a couple decisions to make.  What would be my career focus?  What school would I attend? They’re both important, but I decided to tackle them one at a time, and look at the career path first.

I’m realistic. I knew this career would be where I stayed for the rest of my life, so I wanted to do something I love. I talked to my spouse and my family. I talked to myself. I really liked my current job, but did I want to make it a career? After some serious thought, I chose to stay in the field. I enjoy what I do and it made sense to stay where I have experience. This decision took a few days, but I was confident in my choice, and I was then able to move on to the next goal without hesitation.

Day 7

It was time to tackle my next big decision.Which school?

I had one main requirement: the program had to be entirely online. I had some research to do, but I could at least narrow it down in that way. I spent time each day looking at websites for different online college programs until I found the one for me. I made lists and notes for each college offering an online degree program, then read reviews from advisory groups and students.

I only had time to do this at night, after work, after making dinner, after helping my kids with their homework, so I made sure to set a specific time to get it done. It was late, so I made coffee. I was tired, so I put on music.

The entire process took about a week of diligent research. Ultimately, one school stood out from the rest, and I decided to apply to Colorado State University-Global Campus.

Day 14

CSU Global offered the program I was looking for at the right price. The program was entirely online and geared toward adults like me who work full time. I read reviews and spoke to an advisor. The application process was incredibly easy, and thanks to my first goal, my FAFSA was already processed. This helped speed enrollment along.

To complete my registration, I had to order transcripts from other colleges I attended. No problem, right?

I was so close to accomplishing my goal, but this tedious step of requesting transcripts tripped me up for a few days. I had difficulty getting the online request to go through for one of my previous schools. I submitted it twice and finally had to follow up to them with a phone call. When you work full time and have myriad responsibilities to squeeze into the evening hours, making a phone call is not an easy thing to do. Of course, the school is in a different time zone as well.

This task was incredibly tedious and time-consuming. I had to force myself to make that call while I cooked dinner one night. Procrastination almost won the battle, but I persevered and got it done.  It’s times like this that adhering to smaller goals along the way really start to pay off.  By keeping yourself accountable, you are more likely to overcome hurdles as they appear, rather than allow them to pile up.

Day 21

Once enrollment was complete, the start of the next term was one week away. My advisor was confident that all processing would be finished and I would be fully registered and ready to begin. Hooray! And then I found out about my employer’s tuition reimbursement program.

The organization I work for offers tuition reimbursement, but only if the class is approved before you start it. Bummer.

Every little bit helps when you are paying for college, right? I wish I had found out about it sooner. I should have asked, but sometimes you can’t anticipate every question, and this didn’t throw me off my goal.  All I had to do was let my advisor know what was happening.

I delayed starting at CSU Global until my reimbursement request was processed through my employer. It took a few days to get approved, so I missed the start of that particular term, but it was worth the wait because now whatever cost I had to pay out of pocket for school will be reimbursed through my employer.

Month’s End

By the end of 30 days (plus two) I was enrolled in a program, working toward my degree. I decided to set a vision for myself and establish smaller goals and tasks to stay motivated, and it worked.

It was not always fun and interesting. Some days it felt like I had taken on another job. But the decision to return to school and earn my degree is one I will never regret. The next year will be full of homework and required reading and papers to write, but the time spent is an investment in myself and in my family’s future. What better way to spend it?

What would you like to do differently? Is there a change you like to make that seems too large to be overcome?  Come up with a vision for your life. Set some goals and do one thing every day to move towards them. I gave myself 30 days to make a change.

You can do it, too.