With
opportunities for young people in Guyana extremely limited it can be understood when they say there are not many choices for them. The bottom line is, however limited they are, young people still have to make the most important choice about their future and that is whether they are going to work towards making it the best it can be or taking a less focused route to accepting less than they deserve.
Yes it is the responsibility of the wider society to create more opportunities but young people have to learn to work with what they have right now and find ways to make it in the circumstances they are in. It can be difficult to think and act positively in a tough climate but it is imperative to have the right attitude for success.
You need to have a goal and you need to have a plan to reach it. I’ve heard of some amazing dreams, some extravagant, some modest, some heart-warming, some over ambitious, but all to be encouraged. The fact children have a dream is promising. The problem is that as they grow and develop, too few devise realistic plans to achieve their goals and along the way many of these dreams get lost.
The focus seems to be very much on instant gratification, wanting to be satisfied now, rather than deferred gratification where someone makes sacrifices now to achieve a longer-term objective. In order to change this way of thinking and behaving, parents and teachers need to foster a climate of goal achievement from early in a child’s life. Let them experience the feeling of working towards and achieving goals. The earlier the better.
Lessons in setting and attaining goals can be orchestrated for the purpose of developing a child’s ability and motivation to succeed. To begin with a goal needs to be identified and a clear understanding of why it is being set established followed by the creation of a well-structured ,step by step plan.
Parents and caregivers can help with identification, outlining the benefits of the outcome and supporting a child through the most challenging stages. However, allowing them to develop self-efficacy; the belief in themselves and their ability to achieve, is a vital part of the process if a child is to develop their capacity to set and achieve goals.
Making young people aware that short-term goals lead to the attainment of longer-term goals allows them to see and appreciate the progress that is being made and understand that the pathways to their futures are being mapped out during their childhood, adolescence and beyond. Almost like a ladder with each rung a step closer to gratification but each with its own set of challenges and rewards necessary to reach the next one up.
It is essential that the goals set are realistic and achievable to build self-confidence upon accomplishment, but also important that they are challenging enough to develop resilience and perseverance. Directing a child to develop reflective practice so they learn how to assess what works and what doesn’t and adjust themselves accordingly will also have a positive effect on outcome and provide them with strategies and skills to approach many other aspects of their lives.
Acknowledging, reinforcing and rewarding a child’s progress and effort just as much as their successes and achievements is a vital element of support as behaviourism studies suggest that the more you validate and reinforce the smallest of improvements in a child’s behaviour, the faster they will create and sustain that change.
If we are to effect change in the lives, attitudes and motivations of our young people we can start by creating a positive mind set and helping them to develop key skills for goal setting and achieving from an early age. We can help foster a more positive, empowered youth culture by continually creating opportunities for children to succeed, encouraging them to challenge themselves and teaching them the necessity to work hard to overcome and accomplish.
It most certainly is tough out there for young and old, and undoubtedly there will be some failures along the way for even the hardest workers or the most motivated people. Taking responsibility for your future, planning, facing the hardships, dealing with all the ups and downs and continuing to push forward is the only way young people are going to fulfil their potential to brighten their prospects. It’s your future, it’s your choice.
