Goal: noun; the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; an aim; an end.That's www.dictionary.com's definition of a goal. It's a good one at that. We apply effort to reach a specific goal we had in mind. But most people tend to lose sight of the original goal they applied their effort towards. Something might get in the way like family problems, school, or work. So many things can detract us from our original goal. In the end, we form sub-goals like: "I just want to pass this exam!" as opposed to "I want an A in this course." Big difference from wanting an A and just passing an exam.
That's why we should occasionally remind ourselves of what our true goal is. Knowing your true goal will help focus your efforts. In order to remind ourselves of our goals we might use...a list! Like this list right here of my own goals that I hope to have achieved in five years. (A time frame is always good.)
Goals to Achieve
1. My first and foremost goal is to pass the Series 7 and Series 63 licensing exams. If I want the job I'm aiming for, I need to pass these two exams in order to become a licensed stock broker. I have the job, I just need to pass the tests. This is the goal that will provide for the rest of my goals. As we all know, without the job, we don't have much in the way of achieving career oriented goals. Fortunately, this is the goal I am closest to achieving and if possible might even complete before graduation.
2. My second goal would be to be completely debt-free within those five years. It cannot be said enough how bad debt is. I transferred from a different school where I was paying a hefty sum more than at Baruch. Loans and bills eventually add up and I support my younger sister financially as well. Those two things lead to a bad combination of debt. Rule of the land everyone: Stay as far away from debt as you can unless you really need it. So hopefully I can keep away from the debt and come out debt free within five years. I don't expect it will take me too long to be out of debt, but there are always different situations to which we must adapt.
3. A third goal would be to achieve Senior VP status at the firm I am currently at or at any other firm. Surprisingly this goal isn't really about seniority but about how much money you pull into the firm. The better you are at your job, the more power you have at the firm itself. So for those of you at the trading desks...work hard and you'll move up quickly. I know I'll be focusing on moving up.
4. A goal that will most likely be similar with many of yours, or one that you may have completed already (Congratulations if you did!), is finding a place of my own to live. Eventually we need to move on with our lives and learn independence. Once you find a place of your own you can truly make decisions for yourself that affect more things such as paying rent. Paying rent is more important than using your last buck partying. For me, finding a place of my own will bring me that independence and bring some calm to my life from the hectic home life. Of course once the rent bill comes, I'm sure I won't be as calm.
Well, as you can see, all my goals are inter-related with each other. One goal will lead to the next and so on. If everything works out, our goals should be achieved. However, just remember goals are an aim. We all have to adjust accordingly to our situation; that's why we create the subgoals. However, don't lose sight of the primary goal in the mass of subgoals. Make sure your subgoals aim towards your primary goal.
In any case, I hope all our goals work out and we work hard for them. Good luck.
Hope to see great goals and plans for those goals in your life too.
6 comments:
Hi Jonathan,
I read your goal 1 and Congratulations on that!
The second thing I do agree with you on goals and creation of sub-goals once life kicks in but not to lose site of the main or primary goal that funds every one of our other goals.
I was not sure about your third goal if it was reasonable or not because you never gave enough information on your organizations structure and depending upon how many levels you have to climb up would tell if you would be able to accomplish that in 5 years. If you have to climb 3 or more levels up the latter then that is going to be a difficult task to achieve in just 5 years.
But what is your plan of attack to accomplish this goal?
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Varun
Hey Jonathan,
It seem that you have in place your top priority when it comes to what you want and need to do in order to succeed. It is no doubt that you should definitely work on your first goal because as you said it yourself, in order to achieve your other goals, you first need to achieve the first goal which is to pass the exam in order to get your license. Just keep working on what you are doing and trust me, you will accomplish those goals before you know it because it seem like you have a good "head on your shoulder".
Hey Jonathan, very commendable post. I have the utmost respect for you, for the fact that you have such ambitions, while managing to support your sister and handle your debt. I've known some members of my club, Club India, that have attempted the Series 7 exam, and it definitely is no joke. I can assume, although I'm not too familiar with it, that the Series 63 is just as tough. You seem to have a lot on your hands, and it's apparent that you know how to handle it well. I'm glad to see someone work so hard to get what they want; in some way I guess you've inspired me to work harder too!
Aside from your ability to deal with such situations, you show that you still strive to become more, which I find to be very valuable, in all those goals you have listed. Most people would generally desire to pass the Series 7, etc. and get a good job, leaving it at that. You sir, on the other hand, anticipate the days of you becoming a firm's Senior VP. You are a man of various strengths and talents, and probably many more that we haven't yet seen! I for one hope you may see the fruits of success early on in your life and career, for the hard times and difficult situations you may have endured.
Stay Up.
--- Karup
Reading your goals were interesting because many of it are very similar to mine. However, you are a few steps ahead of me and I congratulate you on that. Needless to say, to pass your series 7 and 63, you would need to study your butt off. When that is over, you would need to work your butt off. It has always been a goal of mine to live independently and everytime I take an initiative to do so, it gets harder. So in order to accomplish that goal, you would need to set your finances straight. Meaning, knowing where to allocate your money every single day. Good luck!
Like you said, sometimes plans/goals can get derailed, but we should be able to adapt. Good luck on the studying, and on the test. Not sure if it was a good idea to overload yourself with all of it; you might have been better off finishing the semester, and then devoting time to the tests, but sometimes life forces us into corners, and how we come out of them, is what makes us.
Hi Jonathon,
Well at least you don't have to look for a job when you graduate. It seems like you want to stick with what your doing for a very long time. Your debt shouldnt b a issue if your employed and paying it off gradually so don't worry about it and good luck on your exam!
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