Goals are the glue that keep me together, and the fuel that keeps me running. I love setting new goals for myself, and watching myself achieve them. I feel as though my peers lose sight of their goals easily, or do not set them high enough. People will tell you to not set goals too high, because the likelihood of you failing will be higher. In that mindset all you are doing is setting yourself short of all the amazing things you could accomplish.

Being a young independent woman in today’s world is challenging, and the road to success is a little bumpier. Do not let that hold you back. You can achieve an abundance of things with the right incentive. I have had a goal of being a lawyer since I was a junior in high school. The reactions I get when I tell people that will baffle you. Reactions include: “that’s a lot of school”, “What are your grades like?”, or the sarcastic “Good luck with that”. I know law school is a high goal, but that’s why I have it. I do not want to look back on my life, and come to the conclusion that I settled for mediocrity. Yes, I could fail but I tried. Not achieving a goal is devastating, but accomplishing it is too rewarding not to try.

We need motivated and well-educated people to reach high, and accomplish all they can. It’s time that our generation steps up to the plate, and swings with all our might without the fear of striking out. We have the tools we need, but we need the motivation. Your goals do not need to be about materialistic items, or worldly things. They could be as philanthropic as: finally going on that mission trip, or starting a non-profit about something you are passionate about. All I ask is that you reach high, because the clouds are never the limit.

Here are 4 motivational quotes to get you inspired:

1. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”

– Richard Branson

2. “The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

– Albert Ellis

3. “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”

– George Bernard Shaw

4. “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”

– Charles F. Kettering

Motivation is a powerful tool in the game of life. Once you have it keep the fire going, and never run out of fuel. I hope to leave you thinking about what all you have accomplished, and all you wish to accomplish. It is never too early to start on the rest of your life.