Goal Setting

This was an assignment for one of my classes that I thought was good to remember, so I am posting it here. Maybe it will help someone else out there!

What is the difference between short- and long-term goals?

Short-term goals are goals that we set in the near future. Long-term goals are those that may take years or even a lifetime to complete. Short-term goals help us to see the progress of the long-term goal and give us confidence that we are getting closer to reaching our goals.

How does a person align his or her long-term goals to their personal values?

Personal values are important so we are making the correct choices in setting our short-term and long-term goals. In my life, I want to always work with children and their families, but not just as a foster parent. I want to work with them in counseling situations that will benefit their lives. I want to see the breakdown of families start to turn around for the positive. I need my long-term goal of education to meet the desire of my personal value of working with families.

What are some strategies for prioritizing short-term goals?

Strategies include breaking down the goals into smaller parts. The smaller the part is, the closer we get to completion, which will help us to see the end. This way, short-term goals get completed faster and the end process seems to get here quicker. When I think of short-term goals for myself, I look at my course calendar and plan my days for education. After I complete the short-term goal, I quickly mark it off and then I am able to move forward with the next goal on my list.

What are some techniques for maintaining focus to achieve goals?

Remembering to keep the important things first is a good technique for maintaining focus. When I think about my values, I know what I want to do. I have no doubt that I want to continue working with children and their parents. By remembering this, I stay focused on my goals.

My personal situation is being a wife of 18 years, a mother who home-schools two children ages 11 and 17, fosters children in the community, works full-time, goes to the gym daily, and is completing a college education. Techniques that make this possible, is prayer and organization. My life is laid out from 4:00 am until 9:00 pm. My days are full, but very enjoyable.

Although my time commitments are strict, I make time for movies on Friday nights with my family and church on Sunday. I must keep my values a priority in order to reach my end goal.