Get the right tools!

In order to build a bright future, you need the correct tools to assist you.

These were the words of advice from Lisa Dottin, teacher at Ellerslie Secondary School and guest speaker at the installation ceremony of the new board of members of the Barbados Association of Future Office Professionals (BAFOP), which was held at Divi Southwinds Beach Resort on Saturday evening.

Likening the building of a brighter future to building a house, Dottin urged the young members of BAFOP to consider five things when constructing their future life – location, design construction workers, materials and a timeline.

She explained to those present that at the beginning of their journey, they need to access what they want to achieve out of life and noted that “life can’t be just about growing older and paying bills”. Therefore, she encouraged them to start by identifying what personal and career goals they wished to pursue. She added that they further needed to design a plan for their life, but reminded them to be cognisant of the fact that there were going to be unexpected changes in their life and urged them not to let these unexpected changes hinder them from achieving their goals.

The guest speaker mentioned that it was also important to consider the “construction workers” in your life. Acknowledging a quote that stated, ‘We are the average of five people we spend our time with’, she believed it was important for them to consider who they were spending their time with as they built for the their future. She also noted that it was important for them to gain the necessary materials and qualifications to start building their future.

The Ellerslie teacher opined that, when building a future, setting a deadline is the most important thing to do.

“The thing is, sometimes we decide we want to be a CEO, but we don’t say by when. If you know you have to construct a building in six months, you’re going to work differently than if you have years to build it,” she said.

Dottin expressed that thinking about these five aspects would come in handy when looking to build a bright future for yourself or any organisation.