W.I.G.: Wildy Impossible Goals

     Earlier this year, I attended the ACHES (Association of Canadian Human Ecology Students) conference. One of the guest speakers, Jessica Doody, made one point that had a major impact on me. It may be a little late to think about New Year's Resolutions, but I believe it is never too late for a Wildly Impossible Goal. 
So here, as I understand it, is how it works:
      -Think of one thing, anything, that you wish to accomplish. (Something "wildly impossible" or improbable).
      -Get yourself a board, sticky notes, a poster board, etc. (Something big enough that you can write on and add to. I personally, like the poster board of sorts.)
      -At the top of the board, write down that wildly impossible goal.
       -Now, underneath that wildly impossible goal, start breaking down the steps it will take for you to achieve it. (Already seems kind of possible, right?)
      -With this check-sheet of small steps, you can tackle that goal one step at a time. Rip off the sticky notes, cross off the steps, or erase the words, as you go. Use whatever helps you feel more accomplished each step of the way.
Small tasks are easy to do, and before you know it, you will have worked your way up to that Wildly Impossible Goal.

The board may look like this one. Sticky notes are useful as they are easy to take off to re-update the board. (This photo can be accessed through the Ann Arbor Chronicle).
Askins, D. (2009). [untitled photograph of board]. Retrieved from:http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/04/30/expanded-ldfa-board-reflects-on-purpose/

      Jessica Doody herself is an entrepreneur and a mother, balancing her own personal life with her professional one. She has created two of her own lines of accessories (one for children and one for women). Unfortunately, I could not find a site or webpage that displays her work. But more importantly than her accomplishments is the underlying principle; she stresses how to use the things you love as a guide to your career. It is not about that well-paying job, knowing that you will be unhappy doing it. And I strongly believe in this: doing what you love is not work. It is unfortunate how few people can really do the things they care about (or even bother trying to attempt to do so).
     With the craziness of school, it can be really hard for me to just sit down and work on the things that really matter to me. There is always another paper, another assignment, or another lab. But these are just excuses. Today, I am going to start creating my own Wildly Impossible Goal board. So here's my W.I.G.: I would like to get an internship with a designer that will allow me to gain some valuable experience in the field of fashion design. To do this, I should:
     -look at some different job postings
     -create an excellent CV (despite my current lack of experience)
     -with my CV, I need to put myself out there and make some contacts
     -narrow down the most relevant information from my resume into my CV
     -improve my basic tailoring and seamstress skills
There we have it, some basic steps toward breaking down my own W.I.G. While a Facebook page is not quite an online portfolio, I may be working my way up to one line this: http://www.krop.com/agamo/ or http://amandamgreen.com/  or http://www.alexandra-anderson.com/. Working toward an online portfolio like those of these design students would also be a huge asset to applying for internships. One step out of my comfort zone, a few more into new and exciting territory. In class, we have also discussed writing a good, effective, and academic CV. It has helped me narrow down which format to use (Chrono-Functional), what information is important to include, and how to write an effective Objective statement.
      Another student in ALES204, has a clear, concise, and professional layout on her blog linking to her online resume (the Facebook page). She may not have used a professional image (of herself in business attire), but I think her volunteer photo says a lot more about her and what she has accomplished. The colours are fun and bright, revealing some personality, but work together to make an overall refreshing impression. Click here to have a look at her blog.