Long-term goals take place over several years. Examples of a long term goal include: increase business by 20%, reduce churn (amount of new hires compared to people who were fired or quit) to 5%, increase YouTube subscribers to 1,000,000 or graduate with a four year degree.
Taking place over five to ten years, plans are also reevaluated during the time period. People begin planning new long-term goals midway so the new plan begins when the old plan ends. Theoretically, begin researching options two years before for a five year plan ends.
Business improvements includes: increasing network contacts and advertisements (Internet, radio, television and existing customers). Reducing churn includes: better employee training, work conditions, rewards and meetings. Increasing YouTube subscribers includes: Internet advertisements, studying successful YouTubers and improving video quality. They all rely on improving short-term and multitasking goals.
Long-term planning differs from short-term and multitasking because longer term goals are fixed while short-term and multitasking are readjusted to reach the long-term goal. When making contacts, some methods are more useful than others. Successful methods continue to be utilized while new methods are invented. In the example of getting a good grade a student takes classes on similar days and studies on alternate days or goes to class and studies everyday. One short-term method will be chosen and preferred.
When a person wants to make contacts without previous contacts there is no way to utilize existing contacts. Growing up, everyone starts not knowing anyone at school. As they are not popular they dream of being invited to parties. First they make a friend to go to school events and other places to meet people. After meeting people they are invited to a dance. After going to a dance it may be awhile before being invited to a party. After getting invited to parties they have many friends and know several people at school. There are many ways to obtain this goal; however, each step must be established.
Referring back to the college student example, people choose a degree based on what they wish to become. They utilize strengths and weaknesses to identify a successful degree plan. For example in high school they received high grades in art and math, because the topics were interesting or easy. They received low grades in science and geography because of lack of interest or difficultly understanding the topic. This creates a basis of choosing a course of action based on past performance. The student knowing how difficult it is for artists to earn a living chooses a business degree because though business is creative it also relies on math.
Now they have a degree plan and must adhere to school policies. A student must maintain a 2.0 grade average and graduate within six years by completing all course requirements in the degree plan. This student aims for graduating with a four year degree in four years. Studying the degree plan, a student is considered full-time with only 9 credit hours; however, 12 credit hours are recommended. They set fourth in scheduling four classes with three credit hours each. Following the plan, they want to complete freshman classes before sophomore classes and so-on. They are also aware computers are frequently utilized in all classes and schedule computer related classes during the first semester.
Knowing limitation, they combine an easy class with a difficult class. In their sophomore year they realize in order to graduate on time they should have taken 15 credit hours each semester. Realizing the problem, taking 12 credit hours was already difficult and time consuming, so they take summer classes, or attempt the impossible task of scheduling 15 credit hours with an occasional 18 credit hours to graduate on time. Since their grade-point-average may suffer and fall below 2.0 they schedule summer classes.
In their junior year, the counselor is not sure what required classes remain. They suggest a senior class not appearing in the degree plan. Not able to afford mistakes the student insists on a degree audit. Usually class audits are reserved for seniors and they are only halfway through their junior year; however, this is important and they have heard people delayed graduation because they took the wrong classes. Now they schedule the correct classes and graduate within four years.
Reflecting on life they realize they have gained a large amount of debt and have not thought about where they are going to work. They will have a degree, yet no plan following graduation beyond working in an office doing associated business stuff. They must drilldown options.
Go to the career center to look at job listings and take a few personality tests they uncover valid information. They have a profound need to work towards fulfilling beliefs. What do they believe in and who makes what they believe in possible? Looking around they believe in the environment and philanthropy specifically related to improving social standards. A few options present themselves. Politics and media communications are good outlets to change social perceptions. How does someone get involved?
Finding out everyone starts at an entry level position they decide what levels to explore. Writing out beliefs they find who agrees with them or if someone agrees with them. As volunteer at a shelters and then radio station they find out what to expect as an employee and make contacts. Information fills in the spaces to make another long-term goal when they graduate. Now they want to make $50,000 or more in five years.
Before graduation they identified the type of company they want to work for and what they want to accomplish in five years. In another three years they will evaluate their progress and decide if their choice is producing results. In "Research Your Options" people are encouraged to imagine the steps taken after having a million dollars. To begin formulating a step-by-step plan to realize a life dream.
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