The month of June kicks off el verano -- typically the time for beach, vacay and family get-togethers. But it’s also the right time to check up on those career and personal goals we made back in January. If you’ve been meeting your objectives, then felicidades for staying on course. But if you’re like those of us who shunted our goals aside due to demands at home and at the office, not to worry. Here’s how to get back on track:

1. Make a list with three columns: “Accomplished,” “Outstanding,” and “New.” Ask yourself what advancements you’ve made, what goals you’re still struggling with or which ones need to be modified. Then, place your aims under the appropriate heading. This way, you’ll get everything down on paper so you can track your progress!

2. Use some of your precious vacation days to invest in your future. Take advantage of one of the many professional retreats, intensive adult education classes or a comprehensive one-week seminar. The best way to discover your true work goals is to clear out some alone time. Take a week-long break from your everyday work and la familia.

3. Inspire yourself. It’s tough to stay on track when no one is there to motivate you. Ask a friend or relative to push you along, and create alerts in your digital planners to meet daily goals. These reminders will keep your progress steady. Nothing feels better than getting even a small step closer to your dream.

Lorena Ochoa has always been ahead of the pack. By the tender age of 5, she was already a fledgling golfer. But her passion sport almost came to a halt when the native Mexican fell out of a tree house in her backyard in Guadalajara. The 15-foot fall may have broken both of Ochoa’s wrists, but it certainly had not broken her determination to become the world’s best golfer. Legend has it she thought God had actually given her “magic wrists.”

At age 7, Ochoa had won her first state and national events. She focused on perfecting her game, winning tournaments and championships along the way. Then, at 25, she became the world’s No. 1 golfer, a title she held for three years.

Suddenly in 2010, Ochoa announced her retirement from the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She released a statement explaining that the game had become too easy for her. “It was really clear to see that I didn’t want to be out there,” she said at the time. Though she left the door open for a possible comeback, it has become clear that Ochoa wants to reinvent herself as a family woman and redefine her own definition of success. She has dedicated more of her time to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation, an organization that raises funds for lower-income kids’ education. In late April of this year, the star athlete announced via her Twitter feed that she and her husband were expecting their first child sometime in November.

Photo: Getty Images

When you’re trying to get hired, it all comes down to one thing: the interview. Follow the advice from these experts to land the job of your sueños.

Get Glammed
Wear makeup to accentuate your best features, but don’t overdo it, advises Barbara DesChamps, an image consultant in Nevada City, Calif. Apply foundation to even out skin tones. Use eyeliner, mascara and lipstick to define and complement your features. If your hair tends to get frizzy, get a blow-out the day before. A manicure is a must.

Dress to Impress
Even if you are applying for an entry-level administrative position, dress as if you want to be the CEO, advises Samantha Ettus, a personal branding expert in NYC. This means wearing a business suit and minimal -- but flattering -- jewelry. Complete your look with a pair of pumps.

Do Your Research
Research the employer, their products, their competition and their industry before your interview. After all, you want a career with this company, not just a regular 9 to 5.

Ace Your Interview
Before you meet your potential boss, pop a breath mint first. Shake hands firmly and smile. Highlight your previous achievements and illustrate how you can contribute to the company, suggests Ronald Kaufman, author Anatomy of Success.

Keep Your Cool
If you feel an attack of nervios coming on, gently fold your hands in your lap. Listen carefully to the interviewer and only answer the questions asked of you; don’t reveal personal information or give long-winded answers.

In the uber-competitive luxury handbag market, which is dominated by well-funded couture houses like Gucci and Chanel, soft-spoken Colombian native Nancy Gonzalez has flourished by celebrating the color and craftsmanship of her native country.

Known for pieces that are vibrantly hued and texturally varied, Gonzalez pays homage to her homeland by having her line produced locally by skilled artisans. She employs a staff composed almost solely of women, and offers their children free day care.

Raising two children has helped foster her nurturing nature. A mom of two, Gonzalez and her son Santiago recently launched a men's line, growing their family brand.

This inspiring juxtaposition of quality and compassion embodies her success. “I love the challenge of finding a new way to work the skin over a handle or playing with mixed textures,” says Gonzalez. And she loves to evoke emotion through her work. “I incorporate elements to each piece that make us smile: a color, a texture, a detail, a surprise.”

Her website, surprisingly, is divided into “Values” that tout her company’s principals. Alongside the expected virtues of “Elegance” and “Style” are “Magic,” “Wonder,” “Freedom” and “Dignity.”

Gonzalez is a leader in her work, home and country, but this great dame does have one semi-flaw: indecision. When asked recently to pick her favorite bag, from the more than 150 styles and 200 colors she’s designed, she refused. “I can’t do it,” she said. “It would be like picking a favorite child.”

Photo: Getty Images

September 11, 2001 should have been the best day of Melissa Fox’s life. After working as a film exec in Hollywood for eight years, she quit her job and was on her way back home to NYC in the hopes of finding something more fulfilling.

Despite being deplaned and heartbroken over the tragedy of 9/11, Fox still forged ahead with her plans to move and did what every woman in her family had done in times of trouble: she cooked. “Everything was a mess, so planning meals and procuring ingredients became a form of therapy.” Fox started throwing weekly dinner parties. “Eventually, friends would call, inquiring about a dish I made, and I offered to make it for them. That’s how my catering began.”

Fox grew up with a Nicaraguan-born mom and an all-American dad from Omaha, and her catering menu reflected her bicultural upbringing. Her empanadas came baked, not fried; were filled with unusual ingredients, like smoked Gouda and portabella mushrooms; and topped with her own homemade picante and chipotle mayonnaise.

When she opened A Casa Fox, her Latin fusion restaurant in New York City, Fox honored her family for instilling in her their love of food and togetherness. Pictures of the volcano in Managua adorn the walls of A Casa Fox, as do photos of her mom, grandma and aunts, many of whom still live in Nicaragua.

At the restaurant, Fox’s mom often works the crowd, “letting everyone know she’s the mom of the owner,” says a smiling Fox. “What can I say? My family is proud of me.”

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/jtyler