As a recent college grad I now realize I’m in complete control of my own destiny. As someone who thrives off the order and scheduling school has always provided I find myself currently flailing to keep my goals and actions in line. The world has opened it’s doors and now it’s just about follow through. Each day provides endless opportunity for growth, so why do I chose to hit the beach instead of grinding out more articles or emailing another round of meticulously crafted resumes? Frankly, because now I can do whatever I want with my time.

So the question becomes how should I organize my day so I can advance my career and achieve the goals I spent years preparing for? Here are two methods I have utilized recently to keep my butt in gear:

Write Down Goals Often: Clarify your goals by writing them down. When your hopes and dreams are merely floating around in your thoughts it’s easy to loose focus and forget. Putting everything on paper solidifies exactly what you want and makes it seem like more of a reality. I like to separate the various areas of my life into career, relationship, and personal goals. Then I start listing in detail what I’d like to improve and possible ways to accomplish them. Think of it like a brainstorming session. How are you going to land that promotion? What can you work on personally that will make your relationships that much better?

At first, I started writing my goals down once a month but found that they’d morph rather quickly, so once a week seemed more proactive. Mix it up by making short term and long term goals. Write a new list every Monday and pull it out several times over the week. Carry it in your purse or backpack and use it for inspiration whenever you hit a setback. A quick glance helps to keep you motivated to take action now. There is no time like the present after all! And once you complete a goal go back to the list and check it off in some insanely bright color. Congratulations you followed through! Reward yourself to stay motivated.

Get Artistic: Make a vision board. Touted by some of the most successful entreprenuers in the world and recently through the popularity of The Secret, a simple collage is enough to keep you amped. A vision board is simply a visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. It consists of a poster or foam board with cut-out pictures, drawings and/or writing on it of the things that you want in your life or the things that you want to become.

The purpose of a vision board is to activate the law of attraction to begin to pull things from your external environment that will enable you to realize your dream. By selecting pictures and writing that charges your emotions with feelings of passion, you will begin to manifest those things into your life. Here are complete instructions on how to make a stellar goal board.

I’ll post my vision board as soon as I can get my scanner to work! What about you? Have you made a vision board? I’d love to hear some of the ways you keep focused on your goals in the comments. I need all the help I can get!