Goals: Do We Need Them? Let's Explore.

Hello World,

Today, I'd like to opine on my short-term, midrange, and long-term goals. As we explore my universe of goals, I'll use the SMART method to ensure they are thorough and feasible. The SMART method is an acronym that stands for:

Specific: The goal should be clear and precise, answering who, what, where, when, and why.

Measurable: The goal should have criteria for measuring progress and achievements.

Attainable: The goal should be realistic and achievable.

Relevant: The goal should be aligned with my broader objectives and life direction.

Timely: The goal should have a clear timeline, including deadlines or date markers to track progress.

Current Short-Term Goal (Finish Blog Post): My current short-term goal is to craft this blog post to make it as clear, snappy, and engaging as possible. I always treat each school assignment as a short-term goal, which, to my mind, is crucial for success. This approach sets the tone and structure, ensuring I don't leave the project incomplete. I become hyper-focused on goals and am diligent about finishing them.

SMART - Goals for Current Bolg Post:

Specific: Finish this blog post.

Measurable: Needs to be at least a 3-minute read.

Attainable: I have plenty of time.

Relevant: It is a class assignment.

Timely: Needs to be completed by 5/16/2024, 11:59 PM.

Short-Term Goal (Graduating with Honors): Looking slightly further ahead, I am also committed to graduating with honors. Projections show that I may receive three types of honors: college, departmental, and Latin. Two of these honors are not yet guaranteed, so they remain as goals until definitively secured. For college honors, my last requirement is completing HNRS 50, a course I am currently enrolled in. Regarding departmental honors, I've spent a year collaborating with an advisor to produce a 91-page thesis on Russian troop deployment into Eastern Europe post-Cold War. This project included two contract courses, for which I earned an A and an A+, respectively. I was recently given notice that my thesis has been awarded departmental honors following evaluation by the Political Science Department at UCLA.

Furthermore, I am also aiming for Latin honors, which are highly esteemed post-graduation. The thresholds for Latin honors at UCLA in my area of academia are exceptionally high, set at 3.927 for Cum Laude, 3.969 for Magna Cum Laude, and 3.992 for Summa Cum Laude, leaving almost no margin for error. I am immensely proud of my work and remain focused on maintaining the necessary GPA to earn at least two of these honors, but I am aiming for all three.

SMART - Goals for Graduating with Three Types of Honors:

Specific: Graduate with college, departmental, and Latin honors.

Measurable: Achieve the following GPA thresholds: 3.927 for Cum Laude, 3.969 for Magna Cum Laude, and 3.992 for Summa Cum Laude.

Attainable: Based on current academic performance and advisor feedback.

Relevant: Honors will significantly enhance my academic profile and increase my chances of entering the MBA program of my choice.

Timely: Meet these goals by graduation date in nine months.

Midrange Goal (MBA Preparation): After graduating, I'll focus on applying to various MBA programs. I am currently considering six schools: UCLA (Anderson), PENN (Wharton), Duke (Fuqua), Brown, Columbia, and USC (Marshall). Given these programs' high reputation and competitiveness, I must finish strong at UCLA. To prepare, I actively participate in Q&A sessions and other admissions events for each program. This effort includes trips to New York to meet with Columbia admissions, San Francisco for Wharton, and local visits to UCLA and USC, and I plan to continue to attend other in-person sessions. I also attend online Q&A sessions whenever possible.

This proactive approach offers two critical benefits. Firstly, interacting with admissions officers well before applying can significantly reduce the typical anxiety associated with such meetings. It enables me to build relationships with the admissions staff and familiarize myself with them under less pressure. Secondly, this process helps me learn the terminology used in MBA programs, enhancing my comfort and fluency in these academic environments. By next year, when I officially apply, these efforts can significantly reduce interview anxiety and increase my chances of feeling comfortable and being accepted into one of these esteemed programs.

Moreover, I need to take the Executive Assessment (EA) or the GMAT for most of the programs I'm interested in. To prepare, I hired a math tutor a few months ago and have been working with her weekly, aiming to take either or both exams at the beginning of 2025. This approach prevents the need for last-minute preparations. My goals are twofold: firstly, to achieve a high score on my exam, maximizing my chances of admission into my preferred program, and secondly, to deepen my understanding of math, which is crucial to finding the most success in any MBA program. If I do not gain admission into my targeted schools, I plan to reapply the following year, casting a broader net to include programs such as UCI, UCSD and USD.

SMART - Goals for MBA Programs:

Specific: Prepare for and apply to six MBA programs (UCLA Anderson, PENN Wharton, Duke Fuqua, Brown, Columbia, USC Marshall).

Measurable: Attend Q&A sessions and admissions events and achieve a high score on the EA or GMAT.

Attainable: I have already started preparing by attending sessions and working with a math tutor.

Relevant: Gaining an MBA from a top program is crucial for my career advancement.

Timely: Complete applications and exams by early 2025, planning to reapply the following year if necessary.

Long-Term Goal (Transition to Investment Banking): My longer-term goal involves positioning my company to transition and operate under a new CEO who can replace me, allowing me to move into private equity. This goal is at least five to seven years away, possibly more, and I have yet to begin crafting a detailed plan to enter that market. At this point, I'm not entirely sure how to proceed, but I am confident that once I enroll and am engaged in an MBA program, I will start to develop this next phase of my career plan. The goals discussed earlier are integral steps toward this more significant ambition.

It's funny, as I begin to wrap this post, I realize that it resonates with a chapter from a book I'm reading for my honors class, HNRS 50, titled Roadmap, which offers guidance on figuring out what to do with your life. Chapter 15, "Drip, Drip, Splash," discusses the impact of making small decisions that gradually set the stage for achieving larger goals. In the book, these small decisions are likened to "drips." Consequently, their cumulative effect over time leads to a "splash." This chapter parallels my life; as I mentioned, my ultimate goal is to enter private equity within the next ten years, a plan that necessitates meticulous preparation.

For example, this blog post is an assignment I must do well on for my class. As a result, it is my most current goal. It is a small goal, but I view it as a foundational "drip" in the larger goal. Each subsequent step, maintaining a strong GPA, engaging with admissions counselors, and preparing well in advance for entrance exams, represents additional goals or "drips." My journey is structured around these deliberate, strategic goals geared towards the final "splash" when I transition into private equity.

This process is how I have always identified and pursued my goals, dedicating as much effort as possible to achieve them. I feel that goals are essential, and we must put immense focus on them if we want to succeed in what we are attempting to accomplish.

SMART - Goals to Transition to Investment Banking:

Specific: Prepare my company to transition and operate under a new CEO, allowing me to move into private equity.

Measurable: Create a detailed plan and timeline for the CEO transition into my role for me to transition into private equity.

Attainable: Enroll in and graduate from an MBA program to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for a role in investment banking.

Relevant: This goal aligns with my career aspirations and the strategic growth of my company.

Timely: Achieve this transition within the next five to seven years.