Looking Towards the Future Essay

Submitted By Passion76
Words: 1403
Pages: 6

Running head: Looking Towards the Future

Looking Towards the Future
Nikita Lopez
Ashford University: PSY 202

Looking Towards the Future
The purpose of this assignment is to identify and describe one personal goal, one professional goal, and one academic goal for my major field of study, Human Resource Management, in the online environment. For each of my goals I will apply the SMART goal process and explain each component. I will also create an accountability plan for meeting each of my goals and predict success in achieving each of them based on past positive experiences, my personality and my major field of study.
Using the SMART Goal Process to Obtain My Goal
SMART Goals are goals that are specific, measurable, and time-limited. “They allow you to evaluate progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.” (Cohen, 2013) A general goal doesn’t allow room for planning. By not using the SMART Goal process, I would not be able to follow through to completion and know what it will take to get me to the goal. S is for specific, meaning to target a specific area of improvement. Having a specific goal makes the goal more obtainable. M is for measurable, mean I should be able to measure or quantify the amount of progress I’ve made while going through the process to achieve my goal. A is for Attainable, meaning that this goal is something that I know I can actually do. R is for realistic, meaning that I must be willing and able to put for the effort to achieve the goal with the resources that I have available to me. T if for time-bound, meaning that I have given myself a set time to have the goal accomplished. My personal goal is to lose 40 pounds within the next five months, my professional goal is to get promoted at my job by April of next year, and my academic goal is to graduate with a 3.2 GPA or higher. I have a lot of work ahead of me and I’m sure that if I use the SMART Goal process throughout I will have no problems getting myself to where I want and should be.
My Personal Goal
My personal goal is to lose 40 pounds within the next five months. I am specific in stating that I would like to lose the weight within five months. Giving myself five months makes my goal measurable, I can monitor my progress and if I hit my weight loss plateau, I can adjust my plan to make it more attainable and possibly even extend my time. My goal is attainable in which I know that this is something I can do. I’ve done it before after I had my first child and I did it in less time. Back then my metabolism was a little faster so it was easier. I also feel that the fact that I’ve done it before makes my goal attainable. Losing the weight is realistically so because I have enough resources behind me to help. I have given myself five months to achieve this goal, I started last month and things are working so far.
I inherited my mother’s athletic build so I consider myself to be thick and somewhat muscular. Nature (genetic dispositions) has shaped me physically and nurture (environment and culture) has contributed to my weight gain. I know I will never be skinny, neither do I want to be but I want to make sure that I am healthy and possibly prolong my lifespan. I have incorporated sports along with exercise and Zumba into my plan. I also started a protein shake regimen. I walk and exercise two to three days per week. “On average, weight increases throughout middle adulthood, but it is difficult to know how much is due to maturation and how much is due to lifestyle.” (Mossler, 2013) I intend to add some resistance training to my exercise program to slow down sarcopenia, the gradual loss in muscle mass and strength that begins in the thirties. I will be 38 this year and I intend on living to see my grandchildren and to also live an active healthy life that will allow me to play with them. I do Zumba, which is a Latin Dance Aerobics class on Saturdays. The protein shake is the Visalus shake. I substitute