A year is quite a long journey in life given the fact we always experience ups and downs. Now that this year is coming to an end, we need to be thankful to the Almighty God for taking us through. As a young person, you should know that each year that you spend is a year nearer to adulthood which is characterized by lots of responsibilities that require courage and determination. The time is now for you to roll up your sleeves as you move towards adulthood.

As you countdown the hours, minutes and finally seconds to 2015, you should reflect on what you have achieved in 2014 and what has helped you to register those achievements. You should also reflect on what you have not been able to achieve and the factors that caused such a situation. May be you did not put in place the right strategies or you took certain things for granted. Whatever the case, this is the right time for you to look back and check your successes and failures of 2014.

Get a sheet of paper and list what you consider to be your achievements for this year and the failures that you have had. By so doing, you will be able to evaluate yourself and set a reasonable work plan for the coming year. The new year excitement should not derail you from pursuing your dreams. In any case, the celebration is just an event but the pursuit of one’s goals is a process which requires a clear sense of vision and direction.Please take note that life is a transition and each stage is supposed to connect you to another one which may be more challenging than the previous one. So, as you bid farewell to 2014, it is advisable that you prepare adequately for the tasks ahead.

You should prepare a realistic agenda for the new year and focus on how you will be able to achieve your goals. The challenges that you have faced this year should be considered as learning experiences that should inspire you to develop courage. Many people believe in making new year resolutions which in my view is not a bad thing as long as such resolutions are within your reach. Focus on your abilities and challenge yourself to aim higher. For instance, if your academic performance has not been good this year, you should resolve to dedicate more time to your studies in 2015.

If you have completed your studies but you are still unemployed, you have to become more aggressive in the job search by sharing information about your situation with several people who are already in the field of work. Such people can easily update you about the opportunities that may be available in their workplaces.

You should also visit the websites for several organisations to establish whether there could be some job opportunities that are in line with your field of study. Even if you have written several job applications without registering any success, you should not despair and give up. Losing hope is one of the worst things in life. Just keep trying until when you get your dream job. What you should know is that the job won’t find you at home. You have to look for it. If possible, you can try to use the skills that you attained at the university or institute to create your own job or you can team up with colleagues and start some income generating activity.

Otherwise, I urge you to celebrate in moderation by taking care of your lives and looking into the future to determine the kind of person you would like to be by the end of 2015. Take heed of your parents’ advice and do some community service. Happy New Year!

The writer is an English Language Instructor.