Smart Goal and Strategy

Specific Goal 

I have wanted to pursue a degree in BA. GS all my life. I watched my mentor working as a contracting officer and I could not wait to be one. I am currently a level one contracting officer, but my goal is to work as a level two contracting officer for the Department of Defense, and this requires me to have a BA degree in any field. All my credits were accepted at SNHU for BA. GS.

Measurable Methods 

My goals have been divided into two; short-term and long-term. I have two short term goals. One is to work with my adviser to create a degree plan that works well for my schedule and the remaining classes. The second one is that I complete all required assignments for all the classes I am taking. As for my long-term goals, I would want to continue working in my job field as a contracting officer even as I take this course. Secondly, I want to stay up to date on qualifications and certifications within my job field as well as get started on earning level two certifications.

Making my Goal Attainable 

The procurement field is dynamic as its rules keep changing with time. Staying up to date with my qualifications and certifications will allow me to understand my community better and consequently build a good rapport with the individuals in the community. In addition, some of the courses I am taking are not required but my curiosity to learn is what is making me take the courses. In the long run, my knowledge will be enhanced more and I will feel ready and confident to reach for the next level in my contracting career. This is the inherent strength that I plan to leverage to make my goal attainable. I believe that combining this strength with my dedication and hard work will propel me to great heights.

Unfortunately, I have anxiety problems. I tend to get anxious when I have a lot of work and even more if most of the work is not organized. However, over time, I have taught myself how to remain calm when in professional or personal situations. Staying calm and organized is key in contracting because of the huge paper trail involved. I label and file paperwork immediately they come in and attach sticky notes on each of the pages to help me track my duties. Furthermore, I lay information on a piece of whiteboard I have so that in a glance, I can quickly figure out what I am supposed to do without necessarily having to grab my file. The whole process is a 2-step check procedure which helps to reduce errors. Most of my mates have never noticed that I have anxiety problems and this can be attributed to the way I have learned to deal with it.

The Relevance of my Specific Goal 

As earlier stated, I got into the procurement and logistics field because I admired the works of my mentor. However, this is not my main motivation. Having worked in this field for roughly 13 years, I have fallen in love with helping customers getting what they need in a timely and ethical manner. Having worked in the navy before, I learned to make people happy through my actions and, at the same time, make sure the actions are ethics. Practicing procurement has enabled me to extend the qualities I acquired in the navy into the civilian world. Furthermore, obtaining a BA. GS degree will allow me to climb up my career ladder which means that not only will I get to interact with larger contracts in my field but will also be a better provider for my family.

Time Frame 

My goals have been bound to time because it promotes a sense of urgency and also helps to avoid procrastination from occurring. The chances of my progress derailing are, therefore, minimized. To achieve my specific goal, which is to earn my degree and heighten my contracting position, my estimated time to have all these done is a year. This will be difficult since I have 99 credits and will also soon be living overseas. I will, therefore, have to cut down my course load until I get acquainted with my new living situation and all these should take a year.

My measurable methods have specific dates by which they have to be accomplished. The dates are as follows:

Working with my advisor to help me create a schedule for my classes and a degree plan: completion by October 30.

Complete all required assignments for the classes I am taking: each term.

Continue working in my job field to gain more knowledge and experienced: until I earn my BA. GS degree.

Stay up to date on the qualifications and certifications in the field of procurement: Continuous as these occur quarterly and annually. Each of the certifications and qualifications will be completed a week before the due date.