When I ask groups of people this question, the answers I receive consistently follow a pattern. Most responses are very specific and had obviously been shaped by personal experience. I often hear job titles, like “teacher, nurse, pilot, engineer, doctor”. I also get some that are even more concrete – “job in which I wear white shirt and pretty tie” or something like “policeman riding a fast bike”. When the discussion is fast forwarded to what persons are actually doing in their adult lives, often there is very little overlap. On closer examination, it does appear that an individual’s ultimate career “choice” is more driven by a series of random events than decision making and conscious preparation.

Who Controls Your Destiny?
As one’s personality is shaped, the issue of locus of control becomes established fairly early. Regrettably, too few of us Jamaicans are socialized to believe that life events are occurrences in which the individuals concerned can have primary input. For most, their socialization leads them to believe that what happens to you is largely a function of external forces over which, and against which, the individual has very little control. This current generation is being raised on more of the same. This is evidenced by comments like “whey u can do fi mi” and “Nutten naah gwaan fi mi”. The individual who is socialized to know, and who accepts the philosophy that says “I can make my own breaks, I can be what I wish to be”, starts the process of self-determination and self-actualization very early. What was initially just a fantasy stimulated by some chance experience now becomes a goal. They begin to do research, utilizing whatever resources they have at their disposal. They buy or borrow the daily newspaper and get access to the internet as often as possible looking for information and stories related to the fields of endeavour that sparked their interest. These individuals join clubs and organizations that will help them learn more, and be better prepared to participate in the areas in which they are interested. They use their school library and the facilities of the Jamaica Library Service – available right across Jamaica, to find out more. They readily seek out and engage persons involved in these pursuits in discussion to draw from the experiences. It should be obvious that most of the above can be achieve at a very small economic cost; certainly less than a pair of ‘bling’ sneakers. The most important resources are interest, drive and determination.

The Power of Focus
This process then becomes the raw material that guides the interested individual’s subject selection at school and extracurricular activities outside. No-one who really wants to becomes a bio-chemist has to be told twice to do their homework. Failure is not an option. Where there is purpose and focus, class work and assignments are not seen as meaningless activities. They all become necessary markers on the path to the future that the individual has chosen. What they become is by their own design; not a series of accidents. I know of one young woman who wanted to become an astronaut. Instead of laughing, her father encouraged her. Today she is an Astrophysicist.

Any Road Will Take You There
To those who accept that the forces that control their life are beyond the ambit of their own control, the process of entropy becomes fully manifest. Things go from organized to disorganized because energy is not being systematically and specifically exerted. Subject/course selection is arbitrary and capricious. Sufficient time is never allotted for successful comprehension of class material and completion of assignments. An academic deficit becomes established and is exponentially compounded with every term spent in school. These individuals have less and less to show for the number of hours spent in school. If they do pass a course, they rightly attribute it to ‘luck’. When they fail, they blame the teacher. There are always others to be blamed. The fault is never their own. Isn’t it amazing that schools with poor records for academic performance manage to produce students with good CXC passes? These children have the same teachers, the same poor classroom facilities, the same economic circumstances. The difference? The successful students have set themselves a goal and accepted the responsibility for creating their own future.

The person who lacks focus often continues into the world of work with the same approach. Their Application Letter often has a line that says “I hereby apply for any position that suit my qualifications”. Another manifestation of this aimlessness is the person who says that they are looking for a job but who when asked “What can you do?” always responds with “Any little thing”.

Make A Change

Many adults reading this maybe seeing themselves described here. If you are not motivated at this point to take charge of what you want to be when you grow big, at least ensure that you are raising these questions with your child(ren). Make sure that they are being encouraged and stimulated by your enquiries to take charge of their future. Unless of course you want them to join that growing legion who are waiting for the MP to bring work into your communities. DJs and singers go to where the work is. We must all do the same.

Dr. Semaj is a frequent facilitator for Strategic Planning Retreats, Cultural alignment and Organizational Restructuring. He conducts Staff Selection and Development Programmes for different business sectors across the Caribbean.