The Importance of Goal Setting Written Assignment

The Importance of Goal Setting When I think of setting goals, I think of choosing to pursue something I desire, and that desire can be used as a goal to become achievable either in my personal or academic life. Setting a goal is the first step in experiencing motivation and motivation only comes from within oneself. By setting goals, establishing a clear plan and specific benchmarks for achieving them helps drive a sense of purpose. In 2003, I had just started working full-time, married, and my son had just turned three years old. I was excited to be able to have a job and feel good about supporting my family. After about a year, I set a goal to go back to school and get a degree in Business Administration. I really didn’t do too much research but knew I wanted to get my degree. I enrolled and wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult and take up so much time. My performance at work and my relationships with my husband and son started to suffer tremendously. I had to drop out and felt like an utter failure. In 2014, I had moved to San Diego with my son to start a new life. It was a breath of fresh air from my hometown and I was eager I would get a job since there were so many opportunities available. I was putting myself out there working hard everyday applying to any and every job imaginable. I went on a few interviews but didn’t get hired. It was disappointing to say the least, but you keep the faith and continue to try. One day, I received a call for an interview at a well-known retail store. I went in for the interview and did very well. As soon as I got home, I received a call for a second interview. I knew at that moment I probably got the job and I did. I was so excited to be employed so I could take care of my son and I. The goal I set myself for was to move up from a cashier to a head cashier. Within about six months or so, I completed my goal and was working as a full-time head cashier. I was elated and proud of myself. In my first example, I was very unsuccessful in setting my goal of going back to school. The reason for being unsuccessful was because I really didn’t do my research and think it through realistically. I could have possibly made it work if maybe I was more organized and had a better well thought plan about it. I didn’t think that my relationships at my job, husband, or son would suffer because I wanted to better myself, but it did. In my second example, after meeting my goal and becoming a head cashier, I was more than determined to demonstrate my skills and prove that I was chosen for the position because I had exceeded expectations and my desire to go after something I wanted was my strength and motivation to make it happen. When we set personal goals, we hold the key in the transformation of taking our life in the desired direction we want to go. In order to achieve the goal setting, it is a process of being knowledgeable on how to establish them along with conscientious contemplation and most of all the amount of hard work we put into achieving those goals, (“10 steps for effective goal setting: Set and achieve goals >> college for adult learning,” 2020). What would be some of the characteristics you would think of when it comes to goals? I believe that setting and focusing on goals that are specific, realistic, and attainable. Being motivated, setting priorities, having a positive attitude, and good time management are characteristics for successful goals, (“Characteristics of effective goals,” n.d.). A short-term goal is something you want to do either today, this week, this month, or even this year. It is a goal that you want to accomplish soon, (Rosser, 2019). My short-term goal is to obtain employment very soon, so I can stay in my apartment and pay my bills. A mid-term goal is something that could happen within three to five years, (Rosser, 2019). My mid-term goal is to remain in college with the same motivation and priorities I have set for myself. A long-term goal(s) can be achieved by using a series of short-and medium-term goals as steppingstones, along the way to the end point, (Rosser, 2019). My long-term goal is to graduate from college being the first generation in my family to do this and to have a successful career utilizing the college degree I have earned.