Everyonehasgoals.Manypeopledonotreachtheirgoalsforlackofplanning.Thesethreesetsofgoalsshouldbedeveloped:lifetime,intermediateandshortterm.
Lifetimegoalsshouldbewrittenout.Thesegoalsshouldbeclearandreasonable.Forinstance,thegoaltowinaresearchprizeisclearandmeasurable.Otherlifetimegoalsmightincludepublishingacertainnumberofinfluentialbooksorarticles,earningadepartmentalchairmanshipatamajoruniversity,successfullycompetingforagrantfromtheNationalScienceFoundationorsecuringaconsultantshipwithabigcorporation.
Intermediategoalsrelatetooutcomesduringthenextfewyears.Forthebeginningdoctoralstudent,intermediategoalsmayincludecompletionofcourseworkandpreparationofadoctoralresearchproposal.Likelifetimegoals,thesearemeasurableandclearlystated.
Short-termgoalsinvolveoutcomesexpectedduringthenext12months.Thesegoalsaremoreperformanceoriented,andtheyhelpwithachievementofintermediategoals.Examplesofshort-termgoalsareearninganAinacourse,learninghowtoprogramacomputerorperforminganexperiment.
【点评】本文介绍了人生的三种目标:终生的、长期的和短期的目标。在文中采用了说明文常用的方法:定义、举例、分类和比较等。