I believe that the first step towards setting and achieving personal goals is that you must realize you have to prepare for the future and not wait for it to happen. My life in retrospect has had many changes and twists; it is in a constant state of development. The process of getting ready to write this essay was very challenging. It really forced me to focus on my life and how it has changed as I have matured. Setting goals has forced me to take a look at my values. .
I have always wanted to have a husband I am in love with, a stable job, happy and healthy children, and a house in the suburbs. But now, after living life and surviving some defeats I realize that there are no guarantees in life except the ones we choose for ourselves. I have the stable job, happy and healthy children, and a house in the suburbs, but that does not bring happiness. The only way to improve your life is to improve yourself. I think that once you begin this journey everything else in your life will seem to balance. There are many steps I had to take on this journey of self-discovery. I needed to define and understand my values and why they are important to me. Then I started to think about my immediate and long-term future and started to set some personal goals. I realized that I was waiting for my future to just happen.
My first short-term goal for the future is to become content with myself. I want to be satisfied with the decisions I make, even if the outcome is not what I had hoped. I want to be the best mother to my children under any circumstances and recognize that sometimes that means making the hard, unpopular decisions. .
I want to be able to accept and forgive myself and be able to live up to the expectations I have for myself. I need to live my life for myself and not for others around me. .
Second is financial security. Financial security in today's world is a must. It cannot be overlooked; the United States has become a very materialistic society.