What did you want to be at 8 years old?

Last week I saw Kathi Jaworski, executive director of Rural Development Initiatives, as her board held a meeting in our building here in Salem.

Last time I had seen her was in the high desert of Eastern Oregon near Madras last fall, as she helped run the annual conference held by her organization. It draws the leaders and potential leaders from around the state to share some of the challenges and opportunities they have, and is one of the most inspirational events that can influence the leaders of tomorrow.

The meetings help people to reach their career goals by giving them the tools and increasing their skills for the jobs they do in rural communities, and helps them network with and support each other.

Jaworksi is busy planning the next meeting, and for most people attending the event, they usually catch a glimpse of her as she efficiently helps guide her staff and volunteers to ensure that all goes smooth at these meetings that grow larger each year.

Often when we meet people who run organizations, we don’t always get a chance to see another side of them beyond what they do in their job.

That is why RDI’s website is such an asset in how it describes some of the people who are involved with the organization.

Jaworski shared on the website that what she wanted to be when she was 8 years old was “an artist or a nun, but also for sure a mom. Some internal paradoxes there!”

She also added that one of her personal goals that she planned to write a poem every week for 2007.

I wish I would have known that before I saw her last week. I would have asked about how the poetry was coming along.

This made me wonder what other people have set as their personal goals for this past year. It’s well after New Year’s Day, so anyone who set personal goals — and has stuck to them — should be congratulated.

And anyone who set a goal at 8 years old for a career and stuck to it should be given some sort of award.

Anyone care to share what goals they had planned for a career — or even for the past year?


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Rural Development Initiatives
Kathi Jaworski