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D'Souza, G. (2011). EQ from the inside out: Breakthrough tools & ideas for living a fulfilling life. Freedom, CA: Six Seconds.

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I have found that beyond the benefits I receive at Starbucks, the friendships I formed have motivated my continuation with this employer. Having a friend or ally in your place of work is a way to stay motivated because of the positive feelings such a relationship can produce (D'Souza, 2011, p.219). I will keep this lesson in mind going forward in my career.

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D'Souza (2011) describes motivation through loss aversion as a way to personally invest yourself in an endeavor (p.218). The most valuable thing we all possess is time, I have spent a lot of time in school and working at Starbucks. To me, this sometimes feels like a great loss. I sometimes regret going to school and wish I had spent my time living. If I had worked other jobs, perhaps I would have started a career already. I must use motivation through loss aversion to convince myself that I must use the time I've spent to propel myself into a better career. Because I naturally fear the loss of my most valuable asset, time, I must use that aversion to stay motivated in my future career endeavors.

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I will need to be open to change in order to achieve my goal of working in nonprofit administration. D'Souza (2011) explains that the motive to make a change occurs when the desire to make a change outweighs the cost (p. 217). The desire to make a change, as outlined by D'Souza, is comprised of dissatisfaction with our current status quo, a vision of a better alternative, and an action plan to enact the change. I currently have a desire to enact change. I meet all these qualifications; I am dissatisfied with my work and the status quo that comes with my position. I have a clear vision of the future situation I desire: a career in which I am making a difference in the lives of others. And I have formed an action plan to make that change, as outlined in "Chart Your Life". However, this desire does not yet outweigh the cost of this change. Starbucks pays my tuition and I receive quality health and dental insurance from them. If I were to act and make a change now, it would be unwise and potentially harmful to my future objectives. Therefore, until I graduate with my BA, I must wait to make a change.

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In making plans to achieve my goals, I need to remain focused on what I want out of life, "staying focused on your objectives will help you take the steps and make the decisions that are a necessary part of keeping you on track" (D'Souza, 2011, p.216). In other words, to become an influential member of a nonprofit focused on closing the achievement gap and inciting education reform, I will need to maintain a clear plan for how to reach this goal. For me this means staying focused on reaching the realistic goals I've set for myself: interning at an education nonprofit and obtaining my bachelor's degree.

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Aspects of this goal I feel will be easy for me to achieve are setting realistic goals, working hard, networking, and taking initiative (D'Souza, 2011, p. 215). I have begun to set goals for myself through charting my life. I will need to continue to set goals to keep myself engaged in my career trajectory (p.213). I am also lucky in having an uncle who works in a nonprofit and is able to connect me with others in the field, making networking easy for me (S. Kite, personal communication, January 29, 2022). I am also practiced in taking initiative as I have worked as a supervisor at Starbucks for several years. The aspects of this tip I will most likely struggle with are believing in myself, being flexible and open to opportunities, and overcoming my fear of failure (pp.215-216). As I identified previously, one major obstacle is my struggle with self-esteem. This struggle interferes with my belief in my abilities and creates a fear of failure that can be overwhelming. By working to build my self-esteem, I can open myself to more opportunities (p.213). Another concern is my ability to be flexible and open to opportunity. As things stand, I am stuck at Starbucks for financial reasons, this leaves me little room to grow and explore my career. I believe I will be able to overcome this obstacle upon my graduation from ASU.

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To achieve my goal of becoming a nonprofit administrator, I need to envision the paths I must take. Considering my passions, mission, personal values, dreams, and goals I've begun to develop my game plan (D'Souza, 2011, p.214). In the next couple of months, I aim to intern with Teach for America, or a similar nonprofit, to gain on the job skills that align with my passions for closing the achievement gap.  Next spring, I will graduate with my BA in Education Studies. I will use my degree and my internship experience to get a job working with a nonprofit in the realm of education. I have not yet planned beyond the next year and a half, but I find these goals to be motivational for the time being. I will continue to adapt and grow my plans as time goes on.

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I am someone who struggles with my self-esteem. This is most often the source of my struggles in motivation. I have developed learned helplessness that stems from years of extrinsic motivation (D'Souza, 2011, p. 200). I believe that by building my self-esteem, I will be able to overcome learned helplessness through confidence in my abilities. By being confident in myself, I can overcome challenges that can occur in my career. I will build my self-esteem through recognizing my achievements, allowing myself to be happy, and by being kind and respectful to myself (pp.212-213).

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After some reflection, I have identified what aspects of my personality are most likely to help me to achieve my goals of being a leader in nonprofit administration (D'Souza, 2011, p.211). I am someone who is often "instantly likeable", and I have frequently wondered why. I have found that I am a good listener, I listen to others more than I speak myself. My best friend and roommate said: "you ask really good questions; it shows you're listening and progresses the conversation" (M. King, personal communication, February 3, 2022). My husband attributes an aspect of my likability to how I physically look: "you have a round, open face that just makes others want to open up" (D. Simmons, personal communication, February 3, 2022). I also have a naturally nurturing personality; I like to help others and make them feel comfortable and happy. I feel these aspects of my personality are natural strengths that will help me to progress in my career because people like me, I am able to listen to the needs of others, I genuinely care and am motivated to aid.

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I want to work in nonprofit administration. I don't see myself as someone who would start a nonprofit, but I can see myself as an influential figure in a preexisting organization. I hope to someday work for a nonprofit focused on closing the achievement gap and inciting education reform. To achieve this goal, I need an emotional and practical mentor (D'Souza, 2011, p.209). Ideally, I would have more than one mentor. Someone who already works in nonprofit administration, like my uncle Steven, to teach me the practical skills necessary for the job. As well as someone who can help me model the emotional skills of a leader and explore my intrinsic motivation.