Academic Strategies Final Project
Abstract
This paper includes all the requirements to complete the final project of the Academic Strategies course. Enclosed here is a detailed description of two long-term goals and three short-term goals for each. In conjunction with these goals there are several obstacles that could get in my way of achieving my goals, and plans and strategies on how to get past these obstacles. There is also a schedule of my weekly activities and how I will be working on prioritizing them to be successful in school. With stress and becoming discouraged being a big issue with success the next portion outline some choke points that I need to overcome with planning as well. Finally, my mission statement is followed by a two-page essay detailing how my mission statement will help to achieve my goals and have success in school.
Goal Essay
Setting goals is an essential part of success in most facets of life. For those currently in school and those working to achieve more from their careers, goals are also a way to see how far you have progressed. In this assignment, there are several goals very important to me, and upon completion would improve my life exponentially. In this report, I will outline 2 long-term goals and several short-term goals as plans to achieve them.
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My first long-term goal is an obvious one, I want to obtain my Bachelor's degree before the end of 2021. Though incredibly stereotypical, and I'm sure the goal for 99% of the students in this course, I am no different from them. In my unique situation, I am currently the head of IT for a credit union. I was given this position through hard work and networking. I fear that with changes to upper management coming soon I could be removed from my position due to a lack of qualifications. A bachelor's degree would create a safety net to ensure I can keep my job and even one day progress to the executive team. A bachelor's degree will not only create a safety net but also increase my earning potential as well.
My plan to achieve my goal of graduation by 2021 is by following these three simple short-term goals. First, I will contact my instructors each Friday before the end of the day to receive feedback on the previous week. This will allow me to make constant changes to my study methods and assignment quality. In order to achieve this, I will set an alert for each Friday at 4 PM that reminds me to reach out to each instructor through the canvas. Second, at the beginning of each course, I will create checklists for all requirements and reading materials. Checklists are a way that I love to use to keep track of things in my daily life. They allow me to have a visual representation of the progress I make each day. My plan to complete this one day I will go through the modules, project requirements, and rubrics to find the key points. I will then make a list to begin checking things off immediately. Third, I will keep the pace of completing 4 courses each term. Having a goal of consistent progress is easier to manage and understand than just moving forward blindly. I always what to have a sense of urgency when completing courses. My plan to do this is to work constantly on the first two goals. I will also be making a calendar to visually see my progress and check courses off one at a time.
The largest obstacle that could prevent me from achieving this goal setting is time. I currently have a full-time job that has me working late frequently, and we just welcomed our third child to the family last month. A constant fear that I have is not balancing my time between work, school, and life. The only way I can achieve this balance without losing my mind is with my wonderful wife. After talking it over she decided that she would take on more responsibility to watch the girls each night while I study for a few hours. I will also wake up earlier and study before the kids are up for two extra hours.
My second long-term goal is a prideful one, but one that is reachable. I want to earn a six-figure income within a year of graduation. I have always wanted to have a stable income for my family. Six figures definitely exceed my desire, and I love to push myself and receive appropriate compensation for the hard work I do.
Making six figures is a feat that will push my limits. In my research pushing your limits isn’t a horrible thing. Referencing a work by Locke and Latham, Alesch and Niblack-Rickard (2018) “concluded that the more difficult the goal, the higher the performance. In comparison, they found that “do your best” goals or goals that were too easily attained, lowered performance.” (p.5). In order to achieve it, I have outlined three more short-term goals. First, I will have meaningful weekly contact with a member of the executive team. Doing this will demonstrate my desire to interact with upper management and strengthen my relationship with them. My plan is to meet with them and give updates on projects that are pertinent to their departments. Showing that I not only work hard but give updates on my work will show that I can handle more responsibility. Second, on a monthly basis, I will set aside time to reflect on my experience and add new skills and promotions to my resume. By updating my resume, I will be able to compare it to others with similar experiences and gauge when my earning potential lies. Each month I will make sure to make time to learn a new program or study new principles so I can have an arsenal of qualifications to choose from. Third, I will set aside fifteen minutes each day to study for needed certifications in my field. In technology, there are hundreds of certifications, and depending on which ones you can receive will make you more desirable to employers and also to receive promotions in your current job. I plan on working towards my A+, Project+, and security+. With these basic certifications out of the way, I can then refine my skills to move into a skill set that fits me.
There really aren't very many obstacles that can stop me from achieving this goal as long as I’m progressing. The biggest enemy that thwarted me before is complacency. I always get into slumps where I forget about progression because I am comfortable. The way to break out of it is to realize the added stability that increased income brings. There are several things that we want in life and having those in a place where we can remind ourselves of our dedication will help push us to success.
Study Plan
During weekdays my schedule is traditionally the same every day. I wake up at 5:30 am and get ready for the day by showering, eating, and getting dressed. I get out the door by 6:15 to make it to the office by 6:30 so I can get full 2 hours of studying before I start work at 8:30. I work from 8:30 to 5:00 pm and I arrive home by 5:30. From 5:30 to 7:00 I eat dinner and spend time with the kids before their bedtime. I help my wife put the kids to bed and I’m straight to studying again till 10 pm. My schedule is very tight without much room for edits.
On the weekends I have set a goal to study for 5 hours on Saturday morning from 7:00 am till 12:00 pm. I then reserve the rest of this day for family time. On Sunday it is my day of rest so I attend church and spend more time with my family. I feel that rest from work and school is important so I can hit the books hard on Monday morning.
I don’t mean to discount the purpose of the assignment, but I feel that my schedule is pretty well organized, and prepared to take on this degree. I feel that 40 hours of work and 30 hours of school are adequate to obtain my goals.
Self-Care Plan
Upon completing the assessments in the reading material, I was able to Identify several stressors in my life that could impede or distract me from achieving my goals The four that definitely affect me the most are overeating, not taking breaks from technology, and anger outbursts, and physical activity.
With overeating, I feel like eating things that are good gives me a release of stress but it’s always short-lived. Depending on what I eat I feel sick and just want to be lazy. This only adds to the stress and makes me feel worse about my situation. To cope with this issue, I started using an app to manage how much I eat and to ensure I have a balanced diet. I feel that eating good wholesome foods will not only make me less sick but boost my mental capacity as well.
I find myself on any given day checking my email, LinkedIn, Facebook, and a hundred other things constantly. I find that not taking a break from technology really hits my mind hard because I fill my head with meaningless information. There are times that I’ve even forgotten to do important things because I can’t let go of an article or email. This could hurt my schoolwork if I get caught up in it too much. My solution is to put away my phone when I get home and only check it when I get calls, or I have a moment to relax. Distancing myself from tech will open my mind and help me focus on more important things.
I’m not normally an angry person, but when I get overwhelmed, I turn into a kind of drill sergeant and try to solve problems by shouting and moving constantly. I don’t like myself in that state because it always creates more stress for me and others around me. I feel that with the goals that I set for my degree I can better stay on top of assignments and feel less overwhelmed. By having my next task right in front of me I can know I’m on track.
Lastly, I don’t believe there is a soul out there more out of shape than I am. Ever since I got a desk job, I’ve only gotten more and more complacent. In the past 5 years, I went from running half marathons to getting winded climbing the stairs. Having a healthy body not only will make my life more exciting but also my schoolwork will be better quality. I understand that it’s not an overnight process, but I bet if I can work a light jog into my lunch hour each day, I will see a difference. Therefore, my solution is to exercise during lunch each day and do something active with my family on Saturdays.
Personal Mission Statement Essay
Mission Statement: “I love tech and I love to learn. It's always exciting to accept a challenge.”
The greatest fear I have is that I won't be able to provide a great life for my family. Fortunately, there is a more than obvious solution to my fear; Constant learning. If someone is constantly learning and progressing, they will always be relevant in society and be valued. My goals and self-care plans are a solid foundation on that I can build my success. There is comfort in having a plan to guide you to achieving your ideal life. I will outline specifically how my goals and plans if followed, will give me this outcome.
My love for learning and tech specifically allows me to be in a lucrative career. Those with a bachelor's degree can make it big with even mid-level knowledge. For those who are willing to challenge themselves, there is a future more than bright because they get to pave the future for the world. According to Caldwell (2007), “11 IT categories - IT Managers; Computer Scientists, Research; Programmers; Software Engineers Systems; Computer Support Specialists; System Analysts; Database Administrators; and Other Specialists. In addition, the Network Administrators category showed a narrow upward trend.” (p. 1). The information learned in a bachelor's program is essential because it lets the job market know that you have fought through and now have the endurance and skills to benefit their companies. By keeping my stresses and insecurities at bay with a quality self-care plan I can free up my mind to receive more information and apply it to my life. Nobody can escape stress; people can only live with it and understand that it doesn’t have to rule their lives. Just like any other skill, you can gain knowledge and resilience against stress and it all starts by setting goals to appease your mind.
The goals I have set to improve my life and the goals I’ve set to make my long-term goals possible offer a sense of relief. A good goal is one that can be achieved through manageable steps. My goal to graduate college is daunting and depressing when you look at the number of classes and terms it will take to finish. Just like a person who stands at the base of a mountain and wonders how they will make it to the top. When you break up a goal into bite-sized chunks it becomes not only possible but also satisfying. Sure, achieving a big goal is one of the best feelings you can have, but why not allow yourself to have a small sense of accomplishment with each phase of the goal. By keeping in contact with my instructors and making visual aids I can see what distance I’ve gone and how far I need to go.
My plan to achieve my goals and plans using my mission statement is simple. Use my love of learning, and desire to challenge myself to see each assignment as a satisfying progression on my overall journey. Love is a strong word, but how else do you describe the feeling of having a new skill through hard work. How many people have started on journeys just to give up halfway through? I know I have. I could be leaps ahead of where I am now if I had these desires sooner. I feel no remorse for the wasted time because my resolve through heartache is now stronger than ever.
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