Career By Design

Dates on my 2020 calendar are beginning to fill up well before 2019 even closes.  This reminds me to stop and think.  Before continuing to commit to appointments for next year, I should probably reflect on the past year...Do new appointments fit or conflict with the vision I have set for my life? Did I complete my New Year's Resolutions for 2019?  Will any of my goals from 2019 roll over to 2020?  Personal Vision is discussed in the ASCE Plot Points Season 1 Episode 14:  https://news.asce.org/asce-plot-points-season-1-episode-14-personal-vision/ 

On a note related to vision and goals, I received a message this week from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, where I am an Ambassador.  It included a quote from Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, former President of Morehouse College and mentor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  "Die young, die middle-aged, die old," he said "[but] remember that the most useful life and abundant life is the one in which one dreams dreams that will never completely come true and chooses ideals that forever beckon but forever elude. To seek a goal that is worthy, so all-embracing, so all-consuming, and so challenging that one can never completely attain it, is the life magnificent; it is the only life worth living."

With all of this to ponder, what is your process for creating your vision and goals? I appreciate any advice or resources you would like to share. 

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Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
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Hi Jameelah,

My point is with this line, " To seek a goal that is worthy..." In many senses, my big dreams would still be SMART.

Since I graduated with a degree in Management (majored in Construction Project Costing), I have worked near 9 years at contractor's side and at consultancy, and I've never stopped seeking a purpose in civil engineering (built environment as well).

In the years to come, I plan to gain project management experience for two years in built environment, afterwards seek Design experience in basic structures and then reinforce my capability in a global contractor as a construction engineer, a manager and a senior management. My long term goal is to be an entrepreneur as a contractor and promote resilient, sustainable and safe infrastructure and buildings worldwide. (I also made this statement in my graduate application which I just submitted last week). I also continually do my part in social and engineering volunteer services in organizations like ASCE and EWB (Engineers Without Borders).

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Jiqiu Wang R.Eng, M.ASCE
Senior Cost Consultant
Shenzhen, China
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Hi Jameelah, 

Thank you for sharing this. I love how the new years brings this sense of awareness and the eagerness to see where we stand in our life vision and goals. In my case, I usually write a list of achievements I want to complete, places I want to visit, things I want to have priority this new year, and more. Then I sit down with my wife (and soft music) and we start converting this list into our priorities list and start listing things we need to complete each of them. 

I love this sense of awareness so much that we do the same thing in June. So normally our vision is for the long run and our goals are some of the items we need to complete in the 6 months periods. 

Hope you can find this useful.

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Julian Valencia A.M.ASCE
Project Engineer
Houston, TX
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