 Especially after everything we have all been through over the last three years, planning for the long term is a little scary. We have all had to focus on adapting to the new norm of living in the post-pandemic world. As time goes by, I am at a crucial point where I need to make moves that will set me up for success over the next five years.
In this blog post, I will share the five questions to help guide you as you develop your five-year plan. Check out some of my "Her Plan" posts to help you accomplish your goals. #1: What has happened in your life over the past five years? Reflecting on where you have been is an excellent start to your planning process. It helps you celebrate your accomplishments and the lessons you learned along the way. With everything we have all experienced over the last three years, it is very easy to forget how far we have come. Questions to reflect on
#2: What would make you proud in five years? Recently in a class I took, they made us write a letter to our future selves listing all the things we are proud of ourselves for doing. It was a very intense and emotional exercise to write this letter and revisit it in the future, confirm things that happened, and see areas where things changed. Questions to reflect on
#3: What goals do you want to accomplish? Now that you have had the time to dream and write them down, it is a good time to create your plan. With the knowledge that things will change in our lives, It is crucial to be prepared to adapt your plan over time. In my planning process, I use the following categories: Personal, Family, Work/Career, Finances, Business, Learning/Training, Giving back, and Bold Goals. For a balanced life, you must set goals in all the areas you want to grow in. Questions to reflect on
#4: What are you afraid of? Acknowledging the fears we have is an essential step while we plan. Our fears give us very valuable information. Some of your fears help highlight areas where you might lack skills or resources. You can focus on developing the gaps you identify over the next years. For the areas where you don't know what to do with your fears, accept that and commit to taking action towards your goals. Questions to reflect on
#5: What do you need to be successful over the next five years? Creating a plan is a great start to having the life you desire. To solidify your plan, think about what you need to be successful. Think about the resources you need, such as finances, time, access to training, or a support network. You have time to gather the resources that you need. Questions to reflect on
Final Thoughts: MC's Story About 15 years ago, I started creating my "Orientation Plan," which covered the vision and goal I wanted to accomplish over five years. It has evolved over the years as I have learned to build a more agile plan given everything that happened in my life and environment. I am at a point in my life where I have accomplished many of the big things I had on my plan and need to develop an updated version. Thinking about my future is very exciting.
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 A few months ago, I wrote a post celebrating the people that have supported my career so far. It was an excellent opportunity to appreciate a few people who have impacted my professional life positively. While I wrote the post, I remembered a few people who unfortunately had a negative impact on me as I navigated my career. As someone who likes to focus on the good that happens in my life, I thought a lot about writing this post. I decided to write it to encourage people who might be currently working with people like that and need some encouragement.
In this blog post, I will share the five groups of people that could have been more helpful and the lessons I learned about my career. Check out the other "Her Career" posts for tips and resources to help you thrive professionally. #1: People that underestimated my professional abilities and skills It really stings when you work with people you have to prove yourself to; still, they do not believe in your expertise. At pivotal times in my career, I have had to work with people who thought about my skills, experiences, and strengths. As a result, I questioned my abilities, doubted myself, and was convinced that I always needed to work three times harder than everyone around me. It took a lot of work on my part to regain my confidence again. What lessons did I learn?
#2: People who provided feedback that was not clear or helpful Receiving feedback is crucial for our career development and growth. However, folks who want to give you feedback and share what you could be doing better without having the right intent are not helpful. In my career, I have worked with people who did not have my best interest at heart when they shared their feedback. Sometimes people went far and even weaponized feedback as a way to break my confidence. What lesson did I learn?
#3: People who did not assign me to projects that had growth opportunities When I think about my team, I cannot imagine standing in the way of their career growth. I have had people in my career who have decided not to assign work to me that would help me grow. In my work today, we discuss the importance of equitable work allocation. It was very sad to see the same people get access to projects and have to fight for great projects to work on. What lesson did I learn?
#4: People who created hostile work environments We spend a lot of time at work and deserve to work in environments we enjoy. Unfortunately, we all have experiences when our work environment has not been conducive. I still remember some parts of my journey where I felt sick thinking about work because of the hostile environment that was there. As someone who likes harmony, I noticed that my experience at work affects my whole being. I now choose to work on teams where I belong. What lesson did I learn?
#5: Managers and Leaders who did not invest in my growth After having great managers in the last few years, I've been thinking about the bad managers that I have had. Some never checked in on me, inquired about my professional goals, or supported my aspirations. Managers' responsibility for the progression of the people on their team should be a priority for them. As a manager, I am very intentional about not repeating the bad traits I saw in bad managers. What lesson did I learn?
Time for Reflections Who are the people who could have been more helpful on your Career Journey? What lessons did you learn from the negative experiences? How are you supporting people in their careers?  Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing women nurturing and caring for children !!!
On this Mother's Day, I am heading on a work trip, and I fortunately get to go on with my family. Being able to spend time with my son and husband is a highlight. My biggest lesson this year is that the lessons I learn from being a mother are precious in other areas of my life. In this blog post, I will share the ten happy moments I have had as a mother over the past two and a half years. Check out my other "Her Story" posts to learn more about my journey as a Mother. #1: Finding out I was having a baby It was March 2020, and the world was shutting down; I had been exhausted and decided to take a pregnancy test. I still remember the shock and excitement I felt. My heart was filled with love for the little human I hoped would be born healthy. #2: Welcoming our Son Words can't describe the way I felt when I held my son for the first time. Since then, I have caught myself looking at him and being very grateful that he is in my life. Having a baby during the pandemic was a blessing because I had something that brought joy to me. #3: Being promoted One of my biggest worries about becoming a mother was that my career would be impacted negatively. I was very happy when I heard I was promoted on maternity leave. It showed me how much my leadership believed in me. It really helped me when I returned to work a few months later. #4: Introducing our son to family I cried happy tears every time that a member of our family held our son. Before having a child, I could never have imagined that our families would take so long to meet our son. The pandemic changed our plans and made us enjoy the special moments even more. #5: Taking our son to Daycare Having a place where our son is well taken off during the day has been a highlight. I have learned to trust that he will be fine. Every time I get to pick him up, I love to watch him be a big boy and excited to see me. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be able to work, and I know he is having the time of his life. #6: Seeing our son interact with other children Having a child so far away from family and friends means he has not had as much contact with other children. Our son has learned to play independently and enjoys his own company. However, he really lights up when he sees other kids. My heart smiles when I see him interacting with other kids. #7: Hearing our Son speak German We really want our son to grow up multi-lingual. English and German are the first languages that he is learning. We are very fortunate that his Daycare is bi-lingual. I was so happy the first time I heard him say a Germán word. And now, I really enjoy singing German songs. I should speak more German with him at home. #8: Seeing our son learn new skills The speed at which little kids learn new skills is awe-inspiring. My mind has been blown as I watch our son navigate life and work with technology. He has learned so much, especially in the last few months. I am always excited to capture his milestones and celebrate his growth. #9: Being able to share my motherhood journey with my sister My twin sister became a mother nine years before I did. Now we get to connect and grow together as mothers. My favorite thing to do is chat with her about things we do in common or where we are very different mothers. Being able to share my experience and bond with her is a gift. #10: Seeing our son's smile Every moment when our son smiles, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have him in my life. I am more intentional about enjoying the moments with him and building more memories as a family. One thing is sure; I'll do everything in my power to ensure my son has a happy life. Final Thoughts Being a mother has been a great experience. I am grateful for the way that our lives have evolved. Happy Mother's Day to me!  Setting goals has been a regular practice that I have done for many years. Especially in the last five years, I have taken a more disciplined approach to planning for my year and tracking progress on an ongoing basis. As I start envisioning my next five years and planning, I want to document the valuable lessons that have helped me accomplish great things.
In this blog post, I will share my learning about goals in the last five years. Check out some of my "Her Plan" posts to help you accomplish your goals. #1: Set Bold and Aspirational goals While reviewing my goals, I realized they were safer as I tried to avoid disappointment. I set goals I believed I could accomplish and celebrated when I did. Then about three years ago, I started setting goals. They helped me push myself to dream bigger than I was before. I started being more comfortable with feeling unsure about how I would accomplish my bold goals. Lessons learned
#2: Create agile and flexible Plans Having a plan is excellent. How you adjust your plan over time is actually what makes you successful. For many years, I struggled with making changes to my plan. I felt that changes to my plan meant I was doing something wrong. In 2020, I was reminded that a lot is out of my control, and accepting that my goals would need to change was the only way forward. Lessons learned
#3: Celebrate your Accomplishments (even the little ones) For the longest time, every time someone asked me what I was doing to celebrate a key milestone, I hardly had a response. I was not used to celebrating myself. One of the practices I started over the last three years was to plan for celebrations. When I accomplish a goal, I know that celebrating is a part of my process. Lessons learned
#4: Surround yourself with people who are working towards large goals As you work towards your goals, it is essential to surround yourself with people who are also working towards big things. Your shared sense of community, encouragement, and knowledge will improve your journey. I talk about my goals with my friends and family regularly. Their support keeps me going, especially when I doubt myself. Lessons learned
#5: Believe in yourself Over the last five years, I have done many things that I never thought I would be able to. There were moments when opportunities came up, and I seized them with some reservation in my mind. Looking back, I am very proud of myself and grateful that everything turned out the way it did. The bold goals I set that seemed too big a few years ago are now things I accomplished. It gives me hope for the big things that are ahead of me. Lessons learned
Time for Reflection What lessons have you learned about goals in the last five years? What do you want to accomplish over the next five years? What new routines do you want to start as you achieve your goals?  As a mother who is an immigrant, I have many thoughts about life. I feel blessed to be able to raise my two-and-a-half-year-old son. Living in Germany, the US, and Nigeria has had a significant impact on my life, and I often wonder how my son's experiences will differ from mine. Like any parent, I have concerns, but I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that he has a wonderful life.
In this blog post, I will share the five questions that keep me up at night as I raise my son. Check out my other Her Relocation blog posts about my experiences living in Nigeria, Germany, and the US. What will his cultural identity be? The question of who you are as an immigrant is always top of mind. Most of us have lived in multiple countries and had experiences that have influenced who we are today. Being born in Germany, moving to Nigeria, then going back to Germany, to now living in the US, my cultural identity has evolved over time. Our son was born in the US to a German-Nigerian mother and Nigerian-American Father. I really wonder what aspects of our culture he would take as his own. How will he navigate being black in the US? Due to my job as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager, I am fully aware that raising a black son in the US comes with some challenges. I was pregnant in 2020 when the US went through the most recent racial awakening. It felt heavy to bring a son into a world where he would have to learn to navigate situations based on the color of his skin or heritage. Recently, I concluded that I can't change the world. However, I can raise my son to be fully confident in his skin and equip him with the tools he can use when faced with any challenging situations. Will our son have equitable access to opportunities? Living in Germany and the US, I have always fought to get access to opportunities like jobs, financial independence, housing, and much more. There is always a question in my mind about how we can set our son up to succeed and ensure he has access to everything he needs. I am focusing on ensuring our son knows he deserves the same opportunities as everyone else. How will he build lasting bonds with family and develop his community? My husband and I were fortunate to spend our childhoods in Nigeria surrounded by extended families. We are raising our son in a city where none of our family members live. Due to the pandemic, he has met some of our family members once and has yet to have the opportunity to meet his grandparents. We never imagined raising our son so far away from family. It is our responsibility to pass on the values of our community and create one that gives him as much as we had growing up. Beyond that, it is up to him to craft his community. How will our son continue to be his awesome self? At only two and a half years old, our son has a great heart and personality. I look forward to him living his life to the fullest and giving his gifts to the world. The best times I have had as an immigrant have been those times when I was able to be my authentic self. Bringing my whole self to the space that I occupy has been a highlight of my journey. I am excited to continue to watch him grow into an incredible man. Final thoughts One thing became clear as I wrote this blog post. I am very hopeful and excited to see how our son's life will be. Seeing him be his awesome self, chase his goals, discover his identity, and build his community will fill my heart with so much joy. I am confident that he will overcome the challenges and live a great life, just like I have done in 22 years of being an immigrant. |
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