What a great topic to blog about this month! As I begin my training in web design and development, it is very important that I set some goals for myself – short-term and long-term to achieving my career goal to ultimately work in the web profession. For instance, I am learning that I must pace myself in my coursework! This means setting goals to achieve that. I have begun to utilize a calendar to mark some milestones and the “My tasks” feature on the FT Blackboard site as a visual reminder. I only wish I had begun this habit sooner!

So, as I sat down to write my blog on goal setting, I came across a great website with helpful information on this topic: http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html. I used the information I gleaned from this site to write my blog for this month. I hope you will find it useful.

Be SMART! SMART goals are specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Setting goals helps one plan what they want to achieve, where to concentrate efforts, how they are going to get there, and what potential stumbling blocks might be along the way. Goal-setting involves planning. Planning takes time up front, but saves you time in the long run. It helps you clearly define the direction you want to head and how you are going to get there.

Here are five principles of goal setting I found at http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_87.htm

1. Clarity – make your goals clear and specific with a definite time set for completion
2. Challenge – motivation comes from achievement, set challenging enough goals
3. Commitment – the harder the goal, the more commitment is required
4. Feedback – set benchmarks and evaluation milestones to maintain your path towards your goal
5. Task complexity – allow sufficient and reasonable time to achieve your goals

Setting goals is a motivating experience, especially if you set both small and large goals. Setting smaller goals that are achievable in a shorter amount of time helps motivate you and reinforce the importance of setting and achieving goals. It builds self-confidence that you can achieve larger and more long-term goals.

Another important feature of setting goals is that it helps you focus and organize your time and resources. Achieving goals takes passion. If you don’t have the motivation, dedication, desire, and passion to achieve them, you probably won’t be as successful in meeting them.

So in conclusion, follow the five golden rules of goal setting – set goals that motivate you, set SMART goals, set goals in writing, make an action plan, and stick with it!
(Source: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm)

C – Career: As an aspiring web designer or developer, many new terms are flying through my head currently. This all involves “choices”… what direction do I want to head? How am I going to reach my destination? So many choices to make on so many aspects, such as building skills and knowledge to do this stuff professionally!

H – HTML: As a future web professional, I must learn how to “code”. (hmmm…. isn’t that our “theme” this year? Peace, Love, and code”?)

O – Online: I must love to be online to be in this profession. As I’ve learned my first week – social networking is “the thing”. And what do you know… my assignment for August is to blog about CHOICES! Blogging is one form of social networking!

I – Internet: The Internet is what this game of web design and development is all about – the final product will reside on the Internet. The Internet is the super-highway to information (another word that starts with “I”).

C – Computer: Wow…. to see the web, you need a computer (or I guess now there are other ways, such as cell phones), but for this one, I chose ‘computer’ because that is where the Internet got its debut.

E – E-commerce: A hot field (many “mortar & bricks” even have websites). The buying and selling of products or services via the Internet is what it is most commonly known for. E-commerce has many spinoffs… such as “e-tailers”, “e-business”, or B2C or B2B. We all, at one point or another, have utilized e-commerce in some way – this is all I’m trying to say.

S – Security: This is uber important – safety on the Internet (wasn’t that a test we had requiring a 100% on or you must retake it?). Even though this is the last one on my “CHOICES” acronym countdown, it doesn’t mean it is of least importance. Rather, it falls on my list last to emphasize the importance of cyber-security (yet another term that is relatively a newbie in our ever increasing web-abulary).

A: My web design goals are to become a professional web designer/developer. My hopes are to have a career in this field.

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Q: Which aspects of web design interest you most?

A: I am fascinated by the web in general – both how sites are laid out and interested in learning what makes them function.

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Q: What current skills do you have that will be useful in creating web pages?

A: Prior to my current job, I worked in the field of advertising as a graphic designer for almost 15 years.

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Q: Which skills will you need to brush up on?

A: I have a lot to learn about web design and development. So, software skills will definitely need to be enhanced. Need to really learn “code”. Also, I have been in a non-graphics career capacity for over two years, so need to “brush up” on graphic software skills.

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Q: Which hardware and software tools do you already have for web design?

A: I took a number of web design and development classes at a local two-year college a couple of years back. I learned some basic HTML as well as classes in Dreamweaver, e-commerce, digital imaging (Photoshop), cybersecurity, and web site construction.

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Q: Which tools do you need to buy? Which tools would you like to buy eventually?

A: I have Adobe CS3 and a Mac laptop. I probably need to check into Adobe CS4 Web Premium. I would love to have a iMac someday with a large monitor. It would be great to have a PC to test web pages on. I need to get a digital camera also.

Over the weekend, I have become familiar with the world of social networking…. aka Twitter (send me a tweet if you like), Facebook (look me up), and now WordPress, as I post my first “blog” (hope you will enjoy the read).

Several things interest me about the web… primarily the quick access and ever-changing world of online information. It is certainly a super-highway to a wealth of knowledge – both good and evil. We all have choices on how we are going to use this vehicle of information.

As I reflect back on my college days, the Internet was new and I even remember typing my college papers via the electric typewriter. In today’s world, laptops are the norm. How far we have come in a short amount of time! This is what is exciting about the field of web design and development – being a part of the puzzle that makes quick access to this wealth of information possible.

As I embark on my journey of learning about the field of web technology, I will be posting my thoughts and experiences on this blog. I am excited about the travelers I will meet along the way on my trip to the exciting new world of the world wide web.