Planning is one of the most critical aspects of an organized, directed, and purposeful existence. Creating plans, whether based on short- or long-term goals makes sense for structuring one’s life and following specifically intended paths. Thus, a life without plans is hardly possible, and even if it is, such an existence is hardly pleasurable for the individual. However, as it has already been said, plans can be short-term and long-term, and the longer the period for which planning is oriented, the vaguer and more adaptable it tends to be. Working to create a more formalized and structured long-term plan is part of a successful life strategy because it allows looking ahead. Among other things, this development does not negate the possibility of adaptations since one of the properties of successful organizational planning is to deal with risks and manage change. This essay is a reflective analysis of my own life from the perspective of long-term planning, finding myself and my goals for the rest of my life. The work is academically valuable and relevant material not only because it provides a critical approach to evaluation but also covers the need for practical application of the theoretical concepts studied.
My Personal Expectations for Life
One of the most difficult existential questions is the identification of goals and expectations from life. It is true that life is only given to us once, so we need to make the most of it so that we can achieve all of our desired dreams and goals. In this sense, every time I face a dilemma, I try to imagine for myself whether I will regret it in my old age if I give it up now. For example, if I do not go skydiving or if I do not fulfill my long-held dream of opening my own online store, will that be a problem for my mental well-being in the future? Thus, my life philosophy is that in all the following dilemmas, the answer is in the affirmative.
From this comes another aspect of my existential philosophy, namely the desire to try as many things as possible in this life. Perhaps this forms my vision and way of life: to choose the most interesting, the riskiest — but a healthy risk — and the most memorable events from which I will gain impressions and emotions. In terms of organizational psychology, I would definitely call myself an experimenter because words like “stability,” “conservatism,” and “constancy” cause me internal rejection. Most likely, this is one of the determinants of why I chose the fast-changing fashion industry as a direction for my business, which I will describe in more detail later.
Many people, as they emerge from the youth phase, begin to think about what their priority is, their career, or their family. In fact, such a dilemma is a predictor of one of the most critical age crises, when the individual must set the accents. Regarding myself, I decided a long time ago that I could not choose one thing over the other because it would eventually become a problem. In particular, if I decide to devote my whole life to a career, I can certainly be successful at it, but eventually, I will surely get bored with my job and suffer from a lack of relationships in my life. On the contrary, if I devote myself right away to my family, I will find love and care, but I will probably be haunted my whole life by a feeling of unfulfilled ambition. Thus, my life strategy is to find a harmonious balance between career and work so that I can combine them effectively and realize myself in each direction.
It is true that I do not have a single life goal since I cannot imagine that life has meaning. I once heard that existence could only have meaning when it is eternal. However, all human beings are mortal, so I do not see the point of setting myself a single life purpose in order to try to achieve it. I have learned that this works for companies as well: businesses never strive to achieve a single thing, and if corporate missions are aimed at achieving a goal, it is usually immeasurable. In life as well: setting yourself a single goal means predicting that the external environment will always be unchanging, but this is completely wrong. Instead of focusing on a single goal, I set myself many different goals, which are gradually moving toward. For example, these might be the following goals:
- Pass my driver’s license successfully.
- Accumulate $500,000.
- Launch my business in different countries.
- Help my parents buy a house.
- To visit more than twenty countries.
As one can see, each of these five goals lies on a different plane: financial, personal, recreational, and career areas within which I see my development. As with the family/career dilemma, I realize that focusing on only one thing will prove to be a failed strategy, so I try to differentiate my life organization. This seems to me to be a successful strategy, as I have never experienced problems or stress from lack of fulfillment before.
Talents and Strengths
Every individual has strengths and talents, and even if they do not seem obvious, one day, they may become apparent. Some of my greatest strengths include developed critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze a situation before acting. While still in high school volleyball, I realized that before I passed the ball to a member of my team, I always quickly assessed the situation and knew which choice would be best. I have retained this quality now that I am pursuing my MBA: out of the many options and paths, I always try to choose the best one so that it makes sense for the long term.
Among the essential skills that can be useful academically and professionally, I highlight the ability to use computer programs, quick study ability, optimism, and leadership qualities. Regarding the latter, it is worth saying that I am not the default leader in any of the groups, but if I see that no one can take that vital role, I take responsibility for motivating participants and managing the project. Among additional skills worth mentioning is the ability to listen to people and understand their emotions, thoughts, and worries: this has happened more than once in my life, and every time, I am grateful to myself for being able to help another person in a quality way.
This desire to help people shapes my vision of what interpersonal communication should be, whatever the medium: personal relationships, business, or love. Helping, supporting, and receiving mutual benefits is, it seems to me, the basis of interaction between individuals. However, it is worth noting that this is not about self-serving connections but about a sincere desire to do good for people and to expect the same. From this position, my interpersonal communication skills are developed, and I have never experienced severe problems with conflicts or scandals. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I am always aware of exactly what level of relationship I am at: individual, group, or organizational. I try not to mix these levels and always communicate with my partner based on what level of organizational behavior is built between us.
As an adult, the ability to manage one’s finances wisely is a critical skill. Since I launched my own online store, ZAN International, seven years ago, I started to monitor all expenses more carefully and keep track of my balance. I cannot say that my financial skills are completely literate and that I can be a role model because I still make spontaneous purchases and do not deny myself fun activities if I think they will bring me pleasure. However, I have started saving at compound interest, which I think is a pretty wise decision in terms of long-term planning.
Since I already have experience in running a business in the fashion industry, I have already been able to find a few challenges that I still need to overcome. Firstly, most of the decisions I made were always intuitive, and therefore not consistently successful. I had always understood the main economic rule about the relationship between supply and demand, but I only used it when I felt comfortable. In other words, my problem was that I did not have a solid theoretical basis in business, and therefore I could often make mistakes. That is why I chose a university MBA program because I knew that I needed to gain some competencies if I was going to expand my business and increase my sales.
Cherished Goals
Among the most cherished dreams that I want to achieve in my life, I highlight personal and professional. In terms of professional goals, I plan to successfully complete my training and apply the knowledge and skills I have gained to my online store in a way that brings results. I clearly understand that to do this, I need to study hard and gain competence; otherwise, it will turn out to be a waste of time. Once my business is booming, I do not plan to stop there, but I want to develop other commercial areas in fashion and beauty. So one of my furthest-reaching plans is to create a business universe in which I am the CEO and initiator of new ideas. I want people to enjoy my products and be in love with my brand.
In terms of personal goals, I do not plan to start a family or having children yet, but instead, I want always to be honest with myself. More specifically, I see the pressure society puts on the younger generation, and I want that pressure to not be able to force me to have a partner and children just because I have to. On the contrary, I want to find my partner and live a harmonious, comfortable, and cozy life with him or her so that I can always feel good about the fact that I am not alone.
Short-Term and Long-Term Plans
Finally, it is essential to describe my plans and goals for the short and long term. This activity will help me to dig deeper into my intentions and create for me some structure of what I expect from life at my current stage. It’s worth saying that by short-term goals, I mean any missions I need to complete in the coming year. In contrast, any plans that last a year or more are called long-term plans for me. Among short-term plans, I particularly distinguish:
- To successfully complete this semester.
- To read at least three books on organizational psychology.
- write a list of goals for my business for 2022.
- Take a trip outside of the United States.
- Get the COVID-19 vaccination.
- Go to Paris Fashion Week in 2022.
- Take a course on personal financial management.
As one can see, these are just some of the grandest and most meaningful plans for the next year, from which I expect a lot can change in my life. I strive to accomplish each of them, even though some are more challenging. Thinking beyond 2022, however, it is possible to form a list of my plans for the long term:
- Bring my online store to >$5,000 per month.
- Launch my own glossy fashion magazine.
- Study a course on leadership and human resource management.
- Buy a car and real estate.
- Visit at least five countries in Europe.
It should be emphasized that this is again only a fraction of all my plans, which are most relevant to the discussion in this essay. Both the short-term and long-term plans described above require me to make a serious effort to work, grow professionally, and manage my finances. This will be accomplished through critical reflective analysis, investing in learning, and having fun. One of the main goals related to the online store will require expanding the workgroup and bringing in new team members, and for this, I need to master academic leadership. With proper planning and the use of all available resources (particularly the Internet), I think I will be able to achieve all the desired outcomes and be pleased with myself.