GOAL SETTING AND STRESS
Life in itself comprises several factors which have a direct bearing on an individual's well-being and the prospects of the future. A number of aspects have to be put into perspective ranging from health related issues, environmental and career concerns to the financial aspect of the everyday life of the individual. In order to surmount the various obstacles and challenges that present themselves in life, one has to follow a set pattern whose main objective is the achievement of what one has set out to do.
Goals are an important part of an individual's life and routine as they outline what needs to be achieved and the manner in which one can use to achieve the set goal. At thirty-five years of age, an individual such as myself is in a place where there are a lot of responsibilities that require your attention, duties that need to be executed promptly and a number of dependents' who rely on you for their daily sustenance. All these thrusts into the orbit of an individual are enough to make any affected person have stress which is a negative factor and acts as a hindrance in life.
Being thirty-five years of age with a BSBA in accounting and with a career as a staff accountant is a positive aspect of my life. The job pays fifty thousand dollars on an annual basis which I use to cater for my needs and those of my dependents. The same salary is used to fund a kitty which will ensure that my retirement is not set in abject miser and poverty. In these regard given the varied aspects of my life and with my eye set in the future there is the need for me to work on a plan which when implemented will act as the roadmap for me to improve my life. The plan revolves around stress management and realistic goal setting as a means of improving life in general.
In order to take care of my kids who I have full custody of there is the need to make considerations with relation to the children specifically. Children can be a source of stress for the parents and guardians especially if they are their sole source of providence. In order to better relate to my children, it calls for the implementation of the three skills that make up emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence is the ability by an individual to identify then manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of those around him. To facilitate this one need to have the capability and ability to cheer up or calm down another person and the ability to regulate one’s own emotions (Mayer, 2009). It also requires the individual to possess emotional awareness which helps the individual identify the emotions of others. It also requires one to have the ability to harness emotions and applying them to tasks such as solving problems encountered or identifying issues that can be a challenge.
The significance of emotional intelligence in improving my life is the potential it holds in bringing me closer to my children as we continue with life. In this manner, I will be able to assess them critically and be able to identify when they are angry, happy or sad. They will also be able to confide in me their issues to which I will try to solve and at the same time try and cheer them up when their spirits are low. This will bring me closer to my children and bond the family tighter. My stress levels would be significantly reduced especially if the source of the stress was related in any way to my children.
The future cannot be foretold (Schulz, 2011). Despite this fact, one can plan for the future and try as much as he or she can to mold it into the future he desires and wishes to live in. This is the essence of goal setting in a person's life. It is the process by which an individual thinks about the future and acts as a motivational tool to propel the person to turn his or her vision into a future reality. Currently, I have several commitments and a vision of the kind of future I want for myself and my children. I save for retirement, save for my children's college while at the same time looking for employment that pays better. The process of setting goals will help me incorporate my vision and work on it as a reality. I have clearly outlined goals that I need and desire to achieve in the near future.
The goal setting process will aid me in identifying the distractions that will exist and act as an obstacle to realizing my goals. The goal setting process also acts as a motivational tool for me showing me where to concentrate my efforts which are in the looking for a job that pays better. This is because the realization of the goal that is better paying employment will facilitate the achievement of all my other goals.
The improvements in life that may be brought about by the implementation of my plan can be neutralized by stress hence the need to address it. In laying out my plan, each aspect that can cause stress is considered. In dealing with the children or any other emotion related issue, it calls for the application of the three skills of emotional intelligence. To combat any other potential stress source, I intend on keeping a stress journal, which will help identify the regular stressors in my life and the best way to deal with them (Robinson, 2016). I will also exercise more and engage more socially with people. The implementation of this plan will help improve my life.
References
John D Mayer. Psychology Today. 21/9/2009. What Emotional Intelligence is and is not. 19/6/2016. www.psychologytoday.com
Kathryn Schulz. New York Times. 25/3/2011. Future Babble. 19/6/2016. www.mobile.nytimes.com
Lawrence Robinson. Help Guide. 3/4/2016. Stress Management. 19/6/2016. www.helpguide.org
