2 answers
Shardae
Student
Harper Woods, Michigan
4
Questions
Asked
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What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?
future refrence #career-goals
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2 answers
Mary McGregor
Manager Global Compliance
2
Answers
San Lorenzo, California
Updated
Mary’s Answer
I love this question. Establishing goals in your life are extremely important and as Jennifer mentioned above it's good to have both personal and professional goals. Before I go into what my personal goals are for the next 10 years I think its important to set realistic expectations and have a plan to achieve those goals.
For example, it has always been a dream to be able to purchase a house of my very own which I consider a long term goal. Now there's a lot that needs to happen when you purchase a house 1. you need to establish credit 2. you must have a steady job with qualifying income 3. you need to have a down payment and the list goes on and on. This is called creating short term goals. So if my long term goal is to buy a house, there are short term goals I must complete first in order get there (establishing credit, saving money for a down payment, employment, etc). It's also good to set realistic time deadlines for both short term and long term goals so you can stay on track to ensure achievement. Lenders, for example like to see that you have credit history for longer than 5 years, so that means if you want to buy a house 10 years from now, one of your short term goals will need to be getting a credit card within 5 years so you are in line with the timeframe you've set for your long term goal.
That being said, some of my personal goals in life when I was a student in college were to establish my career, start a family, buy a home, and pay off student loans and credit cards. I'm happy to say that I have accomplished the majority of those goals and for the next 10 years my goals will include reducing my mortgage and renovating my home.
For example, it has always been a dream to be able to purchase a house of my very own which I consider a long term goal. Now there's a lot that needs to happen when you purchase a house 1. you need to establish credit 2. you must have a steady job with qualifying income 3. you need to have a down payment and the list goes on and on. This is called creating short term goals. So if my long term goal is to buy a house, there are short term goals I must complete first in order get there (establishing credit, saving money for a down payment, employment, etc). It's also good to set realistic time deadlines for both short term and long term goals so you can stay on track to ensure achievement. Lenders, for example like to see that you have credit history for longer than 5 years, so that means if you want to buy a house 10 years from now, one of your short term goals will need to be getting a credit card within 5 years so you are in line with the timeframe you've set for your long term goal.
That being said, some of my personal goals in life when I was a student in college were to establish my career, start a family, buy a home, and pay off student loans and credit cards. I'm happy to say that I have accomplished the majority of those goals and for the next 10 years my goals will include reducing my mortgage and renovating my home.
Jennifer Grawey
Regional Vice President, National Accounts
9
Answers
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
You should establish personal and professional goals. That said, it depends on what makes you happy and fulfills you. It would be different for everyone. For example, I have goals surrounding philanthropy and how I want to "give back" to my local and global community. Giving back can be by volunteering or monetarily. I also have goals to ensure that I have a work life/personal life balance. You need to ensure that you are working to live and not living to work. If you don't have balance in your life and focus all of your energy on your career you will burn out and find that many of the things you worked towards don't matter if you have noone to share them with.