A goal is a result that is desired and envisioned by a system or a person. Human beings plan and commit themselves to achieve personal, organizational and professional goals, and the desired endpoint is referred to as development (Falcone 2012). Goal setting involves establishment of a specific, achievable, relevant, and measurable and time-bounded (SMART) Objectives. The goal-setting theory suggests that SMART objectives can serve as an effective tool for making progress. This essay aims at developing a list of several short-term and long-term personal and professional goals. The paper further aims at listing and indicating the specific long and short term goals. Setting goals give persons a purpose and direction about life. Goals also allow individuals to think about the future and the accomplishments wanted in life.
Short term goals are smaller and can easily be accomplished in relation to the long-term goals. The short term goals are things to be done in the near future that is, a week, a month or even a year. The short term goal is thus what can be achieved in twelve months or less. My first short term goal is to read articles and books regarding real estates and how they can be purchased. Reading of the articles will give a way to meet the long-term goal of buying a home. By reading the articles, it will be possible to know how to own a home and work towards the long term goal of the purchase. Before the purchase, the articles will be important. Reading of the articles is not a big issue as compared to the purchase of the home thus it will be easier to identify the relevant articles and books for reading. Article reading about real estate is expected to take a period of six days that is, less than a week.
A short term personal goal expected to be achieved after reading the articles of home purchase would be to write and update my resume. Since a resume is a temporary document depending with the changes and experiences in life, I would like to update my recent life changes. Writing my resume will take a month’s period since I will have to produce the relevant documents required for my resume. Besides, the documents may take quite a while, and that is about two weeks making my resume updating a short term personal goal of about a period of one month. The resume updating will lead to a long-term goal of acquiring my dream job. Another short term personal goal is to purchase a television that would take almost a year but not more than twelve months.
Long term personal goals are not achieved immediately and take over twelve months. My long term personal goals include graduating from college, getting married and saving for retirement. Graduating from college is not any soon and will take a period of two years thus am planning and expecting to graduate from college in two years time. Getting married and having a family is ling term and will take an indefinite period of about six to eight years depending with the relationships involved. Saving for retirement is mandatory and will be longest goal in life. Saving involve a series of days, weeks, months and years. Saving will thus be a lifetime activity as per the goal and will only be achieved after the desired amount of money and investment is achieved.
Professional goals require skills and experience to achieve (Rouillard et al. 2003). Besides, professional goals also make one to decide the industry of specialization. Long-term professional goals that I would like to achieve include promoting my job title and venturing into a new field of business. Promotions at work places will automatically depend on how much skills I put in achieving the title by promotion. Besides, hard work and dedication can earn a promotion and a change of title over a short period. Venturing into a new field of business will be very long term especially when my industry of specialization is not fun and if it does not earn me what I deserve. Venturing into a business field is also important when a person has worked for several years and would love to boss others. As a long term goal in my professional life, I would like to break from my employment and later become an employer by venturing into my own business. These long term dreams are evident to take a very long period that sometimes is even unknown.
Finally, short-term professional goals are not same as the long term ones and take a short period to achieve. It is only when individuals succeed in achieving their short term career goals that they can advance in the long term goals (Eikenberry 2010). The short term career goals are thus the backbone of all career goals. My short term professional goals are enhancement of education, increase in responsibilities and enhancement of finance. The mentioned short term career goals are essential and should always be adhered to by every professional.
References
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