I'm not really interested in any field of study or occupation

Life can be a rollercoaster and some days we feel low. As a student with big goals and plans, it’s easy to lose focus with all the distractions and pressure that is constantly around us. And it is even more difficult to stay motivated and focus on the prize. Regardless, of what the situation is, it is our responsibility to find creative ways to stay inspired and inspire those around us. I have compiled a list of inspiring and motivational quotes to help you stay positive, work towards your goal and believe that you will succeed through it all

Many students have negative or self-defeating thoughts about themselves or the world of work that make it difficult for them to solve their career problems and/or make career decisions. Negative thinking is probably one of the main reasons those of us working in career development have as much business as we do. Some examples of negative thoughts are: "I'm not really interested in any field of study or occupation"; "There are so many careers out there, that I'll never be able to make a good choice"; or "I want to go into dance, but my parents want me to major in marketing" (Sampson, Peterson, Reardon, & Lenz 2000). Krumboltz (1983) provided some examples of harmful beliefs in making a career decision that can be based on the following:

(1) Comparing oneself to one single standard: "I need to be more successful than my Dad or I'll feel like a failure." (2) Suffering from anguish or anxiety over a perceived inability to achieve goals: Goals are unrealistic: "If I can't get into the business school then I don't want to go to college." Some goals are in conflict with other goals: "I'd like to be working in a job where I am paid a lot of money, but don't do a lot of work." Lack of ability may be perceived or real: "I've never done that kind of work before, there is no way I'll be successful." Perceived inability may be linked to feelings of personal worth: "If I don't choose the right major, I'll be a disappointment and a failure." Many counselors and advisors have heard these phrases, or something similar, from students trying to make a career and/or major choice. Other words to listen for that exhibit negative thinking in students include: always, never, only, have to, must, need to, could, should, and can't.

An important strategy in helping to reduce negative thinking and lower anxiety about making a career decision is to attack these issues directly. Instruments such as the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI), Holland's My Vocational Situation (MVS), and Krumboltz's Career Belief Inventory (CBI) are tools for identifying negative thoughts impeding career decision-making. (Both the CTI and CBI have companion workbooks.) For example, the CTI is a measure of dysfunctional thoughts in career problem solving and decision - making (Sampson et al. 2004). It measures three distinct scales: Decision Making Confusion, Commitment Anxiety, and External Conflict. After identifying negative problem areas, the counselor can assist the student with reframing those negative thoughts using the CTI workbook. The workbook can be assigned as homework or used collaboratively in counseling sessions.

Obtaining self-knowledge, which entails learning about interests, values, skills, and aptitudes, is the first step in a student's deciding on a college major. The next step is to choose an occupation, which would allow a student to exercise the skills obtained in the major. If a student's thoughts are clouded with negativity, it becomes difficult for them to see all of the available options, which can in turn lead to a fog of indecision. A counselor could say to a student, "Imagine your mind as a clear glass of water. Now, picture every negative thought as a drop of dye trickling into that glass. The more negativity, the cloudier the water, until your thoughts become completely clouded and you cannot see your potential." The darkening of one's thoughts makes it difficult to see all of one's options and can lead to indecision and subsequently an increase in anxiety. Fuqua, Seaworth, and Newman (1987) have shown that there exists a significant relationship between career indecision and