By: Sonya Cooper

The August General Body Meeting of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals (ULGA-YP) opened with The Foundation of a Successful Life.  I joined ULGA-YP a little over two years ago after seeking an organization in which I could serve alongside like-minded young professionals. Over time, I began to feel the pull of having to prioritize my time differently as I begin to have a shift in my career.  I began to attend YP events less frequently and felt disconnected due to the demands that I faced in my job, so this was the perfect meeting for me to personally recommit my time and energy to the movement.

The General Body Meeting was held at City of Refuge Atlanta in their Workforce Innovation Hub which was a very open and modern space perfect for the Committee Fair.  Each committee had tables set up to showcase their individual vision for the year, and I took this time to meet a few new faces and reconnect with members that I had not seen in a while.  I made a circle around the room to check out a few tables, eat the candy, and get a feel for where I may be able to commit myself over this year. I even participated in the YP Bingo game and helped guide some other participants towards committee tables in which I was familiar.  In the past, I have served on the Fund Development Committee and Personal and Professional Development Committees. I enjoyed my time serving on both committees, but this year, I found myself drawn to the Communications Committee. I like the fact that through my service with ULGA-YP, I can grow skills that will help me professionally as I transition into a Sales/Marketing role in a healthcare company.  

As the Committee Fair wrapped up, we transitioned to a different space to listen to an opening charge from President Mike Twum.  This was a celebration of the successes from last year as ULGA-YP was honored by the National Urban League during the Annual Conference.  This opening reaffirmed why I serve in the movement as YPs as Mike Twum also discussed his vision to continue building for the upcoming year.  After an opening from our president, we moved into the speaker of the evening, fellow YP member, Chris Gilmore.

The title of the presentation was “Time Management: The Foundation of a Successful Life.”  Mr. Gilmore is a corporate attorney, entrepreneur, and immediate past president of the Emerging 100, so I was all ears on learning how he was able to wear all those hats.  This was an interactive presentation in which he outlined all the demands each of us as young professionals have on our time. I know I personally encountered many demands last year from staying connected to my family in Tennessee, socializing, having a very demanding job in long term care that resulted in a job change, and of course having to account for traffic to get everything done.  The most important highlights for me were prioritizing and planning my time because as previously mentioned, I had a lot on my plate. I was also trying to put more on my plate than it could hold, so it was affirming to hear, “Just Say No” during the presentation.

Living in Atlanta can make you want to do it all from a social life to side hustle, but it is important to remember to prioritize.  I know for sure that this meeting was everything I needed in finding my commitment to the movement again as well as managing my time more effectively.  This is just an opener, but I am excited to see what the Urban League of Greater Atlanta has in store for the rest of the year.