Happy New Year Everyone,
My name is Isabelle Graves, and I'm a NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee member.
For January, our topic is Goal Setting.
….Shocker right? I know it's cliché , but the new year brings a new sense of enthusiasm to figuring out one's priorities. We all get a little excited that we now have a whole year to work towards new and exciting goals and projects.
There are so many different types of goals to have too, such as:
- Have you thought about shadowing/ reaching out to a person in a position you hope to have some day? Or a new field?
- Are there webinars you want to make sure you watch, or do you want to create your own and don't know where to start?
- Do you want to expand your programming or collection to include more diverse and underrepresented voices?
- Any other committee's you hope to be a part of ?
Everyone is in a different place in their career paths, and that means different goals and ambitions and how we plan on getting there.
What I am encouraging EVERYONE to do is tell me about your professional goals (long-term or short-term), and if you are feeling extra ambitious, lay out some of the steps you are going to take to reach them. What tips do you suggest to stay on track? Maybe some of your goals have been reached by other's before you too and they have tips to fast track your progress.
Finally, If anyone would like to update their post at the halfway mark (end of June), I will comment on this post six months from now to check in with my goal and invite others to do the same. We are a community of cheerleaders, and I love it when I hear other library professionals tell me their accomplishments. (and a little accountability never hurt anyone haha)
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For me, my goals are very broad as I am starting a new job as a youth services librarian in a week. My goals include:
- Forming strong working relationships with new coworkers
- Researching my new branch to find out the needs of my patrons (I was in Adult Services before this, so knowing more about children's/ family's needs is a big priority)
- Reaching out to local schools and family programs to let them know I am here and want to help them reach their goals
- Creating a programming binder to keep track of the programs I do and the ideas I have (and I am using Canva because if I make it pretty, I am more likely to stick with it)
- Long Term: I hope to be apart of NJLA's emerging leaders program
For these goals, I set dates where I need to have completed a step towards them like reaching out to at least three schools/ family programs a week, or setting aside time to write down my ideas and stay organized. I even set daily goals of making sure I ask how my coworkers are doing, or if they need any assistance with a project they are working on.
Does anyone have a great online goal planning website or app they use, or daily task manager? I am currently using Habitica . It gamifies my work week and I am loving it, but I always love to hear about new ideas to prioritize my day :)
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Isabelle Graves
Youth Services Librarian
Ocean County Library
She/Her/Hers
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