Sixth, due to the type of business school I attended, I had a choice of lecture and online classes. As I wrote my plan, I decided if I wanted to attend the classes at the university or take them online. For me, online classes were the best choice, but, at times, it was nice to get away and participate in a class full of students. A few of my classes ended up at the college, but, most of the time, I was able to complete the course at home. This especially helped when my mom went into the hospital and when I got pregnant.
Seventh, we all have busy, full lives and need to understand there will be obstacles. It is very important to write down the obstacles that might arise in the process of trying to reach our goals. When we write them down, they are easier to prepare for them as they arise. For example, when I was pregnant with my youngest son, I knew that there would be times that I didn’t feel good or needed to visit my doctor and that they would take time away from studying. This helped to keep me on track and ahead of schedule.
Eighth, right under the obstacle section, we must write out our solutions. When these problems arise, we can look at our solutions and pick the best one. What if we have children who go to soccer practices? If they have practices on Tuesdays and games on Saturday, then these are times we will not study or complete a task. For example, there are weekdays that Brenton, my knight in shining armor, will take the kids and let me work on my writing or studying. This helps me get things done that I couldn’t do while I took the kids to a doctors’ appointment.
Ninth, I wrote down my desired graduation date. This is where I became very real, because, although I wanted to graduate that spring, I knew that my life was busy and I needed to take in account for all my responsibilities. When I made the plan, I was starting summer fun with my family, so taking more than two classes at a time was out of the question. After that summer, I realized any more than two classes at anytime would be difficult, because of my responsibilities at home. From that time on, I took two classes for fall, spring, and summer sessions. Due to the shortened winter session, I only took one class, because I knew two classes would be too stressful. After I figured out how many classes I could take, I decided to set a date for August of 2009.
On August 19, 2009, I completed my bachelors and applied for graduation. The next graduation ceremony was not until November of 2009, but that was okay with me. Finally, I had completed my college degree and was happily a waiting the graduation ceremony. When the ceremony came, my family and I had a great time celebrating. All the hard work and planning was worth it all.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
A Goal-Setting Plan
Goal: Graduate with Masters of Science in Human Relations Hours Total: 36
Hours Completed To Date: 9
Hours Needed for Completion: 27
Classes Needed:
1. Leadership
2. Ethics
3. Psychology of Adjustment
4. Organizational Behavior
5. Critical Analysis of Media
6. Communications in Organizations
7. Human Resource
8. Management Practices
9. Compensation Management
Type of classes to take: Online Classes Only
Obstacles: Children’s schedules; Husband’s schedule
Solutions to Obstacles: Write a detailed schedule and include studying times. Put the schedule on the refrigerator for the whole family to see. If necessary, get a baby sitter or leave husband with kids and go study at the local coffee shop or library.
Projected Graduation Date: May 2014
Where I went to college was also an important factor. In the past, I had attended a junior college and a major university. Now, I needed a four year college that was designed for someone who had limited time and energy. This was when I found a business college that was for adults who were either professionals or stay-at-home moms like me, so they offered night, Saturday morning, and online classes. We had all attended colleges elsewhere, but had to drop out and get jobs or raise a family. My favorite classes were online, so I didn’t have to leave my family to attend classes. From time to time, I also attended Saturday morning classes from.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of.”
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Once the plan was put into action, it only took me a year to finish my senior year. August 2009, I completed my last class for my bachelors of science in human relations and business. Now, I am making plans to complete my masters of science in human relations and business. The plan for my masters is written and it is ready for execution.
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
For this week’s challenge, we need to set and reach as many goals as possible. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe was right when he said what we become is more important than what we get by reaching our goals. When I completed my college goal plan, I had become efficient and accomplished. Everything I learned from setting the goals and reaching them, the classes I took, and the teachers and fellow students I met helped me to grow and mature beyond what I thought was possible.
As we meet each goal, the next ones should be more and more challenging. If we don’t challenge ourselves, then our lives can become stagnant. It is an amazing feeling to complete one goal and go on to an even tougher and more complicated goal. This creates an adventurous spirit in us that makes life worth living.
* To receive a Goal-Setting Worksheet, please email me at mymondaymaptosuccess@gmail.com.
To view additional blog posts by Tina White visit My Monday Map to Success at My Monday Map to Success.
