Long term goals are goals which have been properly planned out and executed at the right time and place. Money is a perfect example of a long term goal. If you want to get money you have to go to work everyday at a certain time and certain place BECAUSE your goal is to get money to pay rent and eat. Investing is another perfect example of a long term goal.
I think the most important thing about having long-term goals is that it gives you a solid foundation to support your hopes and dreams on. When I was in my twenties there were things that I wanted to do in life but I did not have any stable long-term goals. Not having long-term goals and following through with them has been financially devastating for me.
Now I want to share a reader example that touched me:
“For twelve years I worked at a low-wage job that I did not like. I had to constantly go back to school to get more and more training to keep the job. That was the only type of work I knew how to do so I was afraid to make a major career change. Now that I have discovered my passion for writing, it has been nearly impossible for me to break into the writing industry. I literally am a “starving writer”. I am not complaining though. I am just trying hard to get my foot in the door.”
And you can, too!
This is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of my readers, researchers, and website visitors. So much so that one of them were kind enough to share their own personal opinions. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech.
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the juicy bits of (potentially) life-changing insights.
Current Topic: Long-Term Goals
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!) ‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Staying Motivated at Work.]
R: What do you think is the most important thing about this topic?
I: One big benefit of a long-term goal is the increased self-respect you acquire once the goal is accomplished. Secondly, it will motivate you to create and accomplish more long-term goals. Also, a goal is more enjoyable when you’ve had to work it at for a long period of time.
R: This is very interesting stuff here and I think it could help people. What do you feel is the most life-altering thing about the topic?
I: A long-term goal could mean getting a college education. This would expose someone to people and education to get the jobs that are desired and pay well. A person will have more choices in life when they have a good job with enough money to spend on things.
R: Share some of your inner feelings on just how useful this topic is for making people want to be better.
I: Long term goals help people to create a plan to improve themselves. For example, creating a workout schedule can help one to get in shape, provided that they stick with the plan. Another benefit of long term goals can be seen in finance. If you budget for something in the long term, you can pay for things that you don’t need (like sponsoring an expensive charity event) but that better society.
R: In general, what type or person (or someone specifically!) typifies this subject to you?
I: Presidents are best at long term goals. Presidents, specifically of the United States, know that they have four years to get their agenda passed in Congress. If the president is elected twice, then the long term goal can take eight years. However, once the president leaves office, history can offer evidence if the long-term goals has been accomplished such as a national health care program.
R: Describe who least exemplifies the core meaning of this topic to you.
I: Children are worst at long term goals because they require immediate gratification. Children have to mature to adulthood to appreciate long-term goals. Long term goals are not for children who get irritable if their goals are not met right away.
R: Please, share with us what would make this topic more prevalent in your life?
I: Making long terms goals a part of your everyday life is easy with a vision board. If you post a visit board somewhere in your home that you can see it every day, it will help motivate you to try to do your best. Anytime you feel like you’re slacking off, you can look at pictures of whatever you’re striving for, and find the strength to do what is needed to achieve it.
R: Can you let us know when you think a good time to pay attention to this subject is?
I: The most appropriate to time to make long-term goals is when you are just settling in to adulthood. One example of this would be when you have your first “career” type job, and have a good idea of the income and lifestyle you will probably stick with for most of your life. At that point you can start to make your long-term goals like saving for retirement, buying a home, and having children a priority in your life.
R: Seems like there are good times and bad times to bring this one up. When’s a really BAD time, do you think?
I: An inappropriate time to bring long term goals into your life is when a relationship is not stable. If the family unit is not stable, then long term goals should not get discusses. Long term goals should only be discussed if there is a strong foundation within the family unit.
R: Where in people’s daily lives do you think this topic would fit in nicely?
I: The family unit is a place for long term goals. Families are not temporary. Most likely the family would like to move up to a single family home. Such a long term goal would require planning and family budgeting.
R: There’s a time and a place for everything – what’s a place to NOT dive further into this topic?
I: the first worsted place is to do long term goal is being in a relationship with a girl that is really far away from you and other one is going to college trying to get your long term goal and the lasted thing is for a long term goal is not having your friends messed it up for you and get in your way of your goal
R: Think for a second about who needs to learn more about this subject. Now, describe them to us, please.
I: First The US government because things are very tense between the parties and they need to calm things down to ensure the long term goals for the country. Secondly, in pop culture Miley Cyrus needs a lot of help because she is wrecking her career and will be very damaged in the long run. Thirdly, the field of science dealing with diseases needs help because their long term goal of curing illnesses is mostly in their own region and not worldwide
R: If you could only give one piece of advice for this folks out there, what would it be?
I: My best piece of advice is to take your long-term goals and break them down into smaller goals that are all aimed towards helping you accomplish your long-term goals. For instance, if you want to save up $1000 in two months. The best place to start would be creating a budget, deciding where you can cut spending habits, etc. Creating short-term goals is paramount to helping achieve your long-term goals.
R: Share with us your thoughts on what’s most damaging when it comes to this subject.
I: avoid inconsistency at all times. Long term goals only work when events are properly and evenly planned out. Once you become disorganized it will ruin everything and you will not accomplish your goal. Also avoid being lazy, it will just make things more frustrating and complicated.
R: Given any tool available, what would you recommend folks do make this subject a bigger part of their lives?
I: As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” (Or, if you prefer, substitute Rome with “The Great Wall of China.”) Similarly, “the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Someone must make small steps each week–preferably each day–to achieve their long-term goals.
If, for example, your goal is to read 100 books a year, then you should preferably read several pages each day, instead of reading 50 pages all at once. If it is your goal to get closer to your Higher Power, then read a bit of your religion’s writings each day, perhaps in the evening and/or morning.
If you want to save money, then save a little bit from each paycheck, instead of saving a huge chunk of one paycheck and having to dip into your savings because you don’t have enough money to pay your bills. Also, it helps to have an accountability partner who will contact you on a regular basis.
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Thank you for reading this personal journey into becoming a better person and having a better future ahead of you. I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found golden nuggets you can immediately apply to your daily life.
If you want to get more productivity (and fulfillment!) out of your work, career, and life through being more motivated, then check out Staying Motivated at Work.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or personal life-changing wisdom below.