Don’t Give Up

The goals you set may not always be easy to accomplish. This does not mean that you should give up on them. They are still good goals. You will have challenges and slip-ups on the path to reaching your goals.

• Your challenges and slip-ups are just as important as your successes.
• They help to teach you what works and what doesn’t.
• You can then use this information as you move forward with your action plan.

Set up a time each week to check how you’re doing with your goal. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What worked (successes) or what didn’t work (barriers)?
2. Why did it work or why didn’t it work?
3. What can you try differently?
4. What did you learn this time that will help you next time?

Challenges and Slip-Ups

How to deal with challenges and slip-ups:

• Stay positive. Fight your negative thinking with positive thoughts. When you slip-up tell yourself, “I am not giving up. I can make a change right now!”
• Figure out what went wrong. Take the time to think and write down exactly what happened when you strayed away from your action plan. Help yourself to understand why you made the decision to slip-up. That way you can work to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
• Break up your goals. If you are having trouble reaching the goals you set, try breaking them into even smaller goals. If your goal is to take classes for your GED, you can start with smaller goals. For example, waking up early each morning or gathering the information you need to enroll.
• Reward yourself. Take pride in the positive changes you made up to this point. Find a way to reward yourself for the different milestones you reach on the road to reaching your goal.

Staying Motivated

You’ve already accomplished so much in your life, even if it doesn’t feel like that sometimes. Remember that change takes time. It isn’t always easy. Don’t give up. You have an opportunity to make a difference in your future.

Below are some tips to help you stay motivated as you work on reaching your goals.

Look over your progress. Look at all the good progress you have made and what you will accomplish by the end. Ask yourself:

• What did I hope to accomplish when I set this goal?
• Have I achieved all my goals?
• What will I do in the next 6 months to work towards my goal?

Celebrate your success. Celebrate your victories, both big and small. Ask yourself:

• What changes have you already made that you are most proud of?

Put up reminders.  Write out your goals on a piece of paper. Display the paper on your mirror, refrigerator, or car dashboard.

• This will be a constant reminder of what you want to achieve.

Try something new. If you are tired of doing the same thing, change up your routine.

• Have you tried to add something new to your daily routine?
• What seems boring to you about your plan?
• Do you have any ideas about how you can add variety to what you’re already doing?

Involve others. Get other people who have similar goals involved. Your friends and family may be able to help.

• Do you have a friend with the same goals as you? Keep each other on track or set up a way to have a friendly competition.
• Look to your support team to help you stay motivated and keep you focused.

Tips for Dad:

• Think about the goals that you have for your own life, having an action plan and setting goals is important for you too.
• Help your partner stay motivated and on track with her goals. Ask her how she’s doing and if there is anything that you can do to help her reach her goals.

Talk to your partner about the goals that you share for your new baby, it will help you two to be on the same page when it comes to raising your baby.

Wayne County Community College (GED) Program

801 W. Fort Street
Detroit, MI 48226

Contact: 313.496.2731

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program at Wayne County Community College District is a free comprehensive program that enhances the educational, cultural and economic development of the community by providing a full range of quality educational courses and services. Students must be 18 years of age or older and live in Wayne County to qualify for enrollment. The program provides instruction for students to improve their basic literacy skills in preparation for the completion of their GED.

Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation
115 Erskine Street 2nd Floor
Detroit, MI 48201

Contact: 313.876.0674

TTY: (800) 649-3777

For jobseekers, DESC provides facilities located around the city.  They have three One-Stop Service Centers that provide access to a host of jobseeker services.  Some of these services are available to everyone, and some intensive services are available only after a meeting with a Career Advisor, but all are made available at no cost to jobseekers.  They also have satellite service centers and other neighborhood access points, so you can be sure that wherever you are, you are never far away from someone who can help.

Detroit Urban League (Employment Center)
208 Mack Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201

Contact: 313.832.4600

The Urban League employs multiple service strategies that are tailored to local needs, such as:

• Education and Youth Empowerment
• Economic Empowerment
• Health and Quality of Life Empowerment
• Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment
• Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment

Michigan Works! Association
2500 Kerry Street, Ste. 210
Lansing, MI 48912

Contact: 517.371.1100

Michigan Works! is one of Michigan’s most valuable and accessible resources for those seeking employment. Visit a One-Stop Service Center today to prepare yourself for your next career opportunity.

Crossroads of Michigan
2424 West Grand Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48208

Contact: 313.831.2787

A social service outreach agency that supports the community at large by providing emergency assistance, advocacy, and counseling to anyone in need.

City of Detroit

A collection of resources in the City of Detroit and the metropolitan area that may be helpful in resume building, finding and applying for jobs, career development, and connecting with municipal programs that foster refugee and immigrant employment.