The Law of Attraction

I’m sure that I sound like a life coach when I say visualize where you want to go in life. The most important thing you can control in your life is how you prepare for the world around you.

As social workers we do preparatory visualization with our clients. We help clients to envision a path for themselves and we keep them on the path during their journey. To empower others to change we must challenge ourselves to be the role models who believe in our own self-efficacy.

Whether you’re planning for graduate school, employment, or any other big moves in your life, it is important to visualize your desires. Think about your happy ending daily and believe that you can achieve it. Once you believe in yourself you will have the drive to accomplish your goals. It might be the push you need to apply and earn one more scholarship.

I recommend thinking beyond the immediate moment as sometimes our goals can appear out of reach when we concentrate on the immediate. If you’re micro minded challenge yourself to think about how you can affect a bigger picture. In contrast, if your macro minded spend some time visualizing the details that are needed.

Why should you challenge yourself to think outside of your skillset? Social work is a field with an overwhelming multitude of options in terms of target populations and work that can be done to affect them. While unlimited potential could become overwhelming, constricted potential can keep new opportunities at bay.

So when you’re thinking about your future: where you want to go and how you want to get there, make sure that you’re not limiting your thoughts to what’s most comfortable. Don’t sell yourself short. Expand your mind so that you can expand your options!

I say all this to remind you that when you find a graduate school program that fits your plans consider keeping it flexible, even while you get specific in choosing the classes that fit your specific vision for your career. Also, consider a graduate school that follows UNC’s lead and allows you to acquire skills in both micro and macro practice. Developing an array of skills can allow you to plan for uncertain futures wherever life may take you.