Success According to Millennials

Millennials are taking the world by storm, and the world better watch out! Once thought to be juvenile and immature, millennials are no longer the children in the rooms the “adults” once thought us to be. In fact, since millennials are born between the years 1981 and 1996, that would make the oldest millennial 41 and the youngest, 26. Far from being kids, right?

Well, these Pinay millennials prove that apart from being grown up, they are working hard to make a difference in the world.

28-year-old Jessa Garibay and 31-year-old Karina May Reyes-Antonio are the brains behind the Centre for Sustainability PH, Inc., a women-led, youth, environmental non-profit organization based in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Their mission is to conserve land and protect the Philippines’ last remaining forests through the legal establishment of protected areas.

They do this through reforestation projects which they organize with indigenous people (IPs) and local communities, land conservation efforts, and by training and empowering the IPs about how they can independently conduct their own biodiversity research (an effort they call citizen science).

And these two women have their work cut out for them as they wear multiple hats in order to accomplish this massively important goal.

They’re not just the Co-Executive Directors and Co-Founders of the Centre for Sustainability PH, Inc., they are also project organizers, researchers, mediators, and the spokespersons for their organization.

Currently, the pair works closely with seven communities in their native Puerto Princesa alongside the indigenous people’s community of the Batak Tribe (which is sadly quickly growing smaller and smaller in number, having only around 200 families left). As they conduct their work that “comes from communities for communities to communities,” Garibay and Reyes-Antonio, they make it a point to incorporate local knowledge and practices into their projects to ensure long-term stability.

Want to be like these two amazing women? It all boils down to goals.

You should have two kinds of goals in life: short-term goals and long-term goals. If you think your goal is too big, that’s good! Nobody whoever made history did it by dreaming small. This is precisely why you need short-term goals. Your short-term goals will be used as the building blocks to reach your long-term goals.

How to set your goals 

Think of what is it you want to do in life. This will be your long-term goal. Do you want to start a business venture, get promoted by a certain age, open an eco-friendly AirBNB? Whatever your goal is, make sure it is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely).

Once you’ve decided on your goals, commit to it. I’ve found that it helps to write my goals down as it makes it more “real” and tangible. Like a finish line I keep reminding myself to reach.

How to achieve your long-term goal

Figure out the steps you need to get there. For instance, you want to work on getting promoted by a certain age, what are the building blocks (short-term goals) you will need to get there? Do you need to complete a master’s degree or short courses? Is it a requirement to learn certain skills? Write these down as your short-term goals and hold yourself accountable to them. Set a deadline for when you want to hit them and keep checking on your schedule. Oh, and don’t forget to reward yourself whenever you do!

Let's recognize young, empowered Filipina leaders who inspire and uplift more Filipinas to live meaningful lives. 

Do you know an empowered young Filipina leader between the age of 21 – 40 who, by her achievements and influence can lend her voice, inspire hope and ignite Sheroism in the Filipina? If you know someone, nominate her ​​to the InLife Young Shero of the Year Award through this link https://www.asia-ceo-awards.org/nominations