Thinking about the future can feel like staring at a giant mountain. Whether you’re starting middle school, gearing up for graduation, or stepping into a new teaching role, the path ahead can seem overwhelming. But guess what? Big dreams don’t need big leaps, they start with small, doable steps.
This summer is a great time to get curious about your goals. Want to be a better writer? Start a short story or write a blog. Heck, write a blog post for IDLA (shameless plug)! Curious about coding? Check out Code.org for interactive lessons. Teachers, this is your chance to test out that classroom idea or find fresh ways to engage students. A great place to visit for ideas is Edutopia, or better yet, check out the IDLA Open Content Catalog. The trick is to focus on progress, not perfection. In fact, in our July 9, 2025, blog post Behind the Screen: Meet Katie Mosman, an IDLA Course Development Specialist, Katie mentions the book, How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur, and how it helped her work on progress, not perfection.
Future You is cheering you on. They don’t expect you to have it all figured out. They just want you to try. Every little step you take now makes the next step easier. So start small. Plant the seed. Your future will grow from there.
