Roles, Goals and Action Plans

Roles, Goals and Action Plans

Roles, Goals, and an Action Plan for My Life

MISSION STATEMENT

My fervent goal is to give unconditional knowledge, strength, and determination to every role in my life, and in doing so, I will reach out for GOD'S unchanging and loving faith to help guide me through the good times and the challenging times. I know that life itself is a challenge, and that loving someone as I love my wife is a wonderful blessing, and I will cherish the opportunity to make her happy as we create a wonderful life-long relationship together.

ROLES, GOALS & ACTION PLANS

MARRIAGE ROLE: I intend to be a loving and faithful husband to my wonderful wife. We are still newlyweds, and we are very much in love with one another. Everything right now is very sweet and tender in our relationship, but we have been married for less than a year, and when we face the many challenges that are waiting for us, I want to be a strong leader, guide, friend and protector for my lovely wife. We are both well aware that the divorce rate in America is not very good. According to a story in USA Today (Jayson, 2005), 17.7 out of every 1,000 married women get divorced; and while that rate is down from the rate of divorce in 1980 (22.6 out of every 1,000 married women got divorced), marriage itself is on the decline.

USA Today reported that there has been a 50% drop in marriage since 1970, "...from 76.5 per 1,000 unmarried women to 39.9 per 1,000 unmarried women." That means that people are not getting married, but rather, they are just living together. "Cohabitation is here to stay," said David Popenoe, a sociology professor at Rutgers University. "I don't think it is good news," Popenoe continued, "especially for children. As society shifts from marriage to cohabitation - which is what's happening - you have an increase in family instability." And cohabitation couples "have twice the breakup of married couples," Popenoe explains.

MARRIAGE GOALS AND ACTION PLAN: I intend to work hard at making my marriage work and will set a goal of renewing my vows with my loving wife every year on our wedding anniversary. We will have a private, solemn ceremony on our anniversary, and in that ceremony we will be renew our commitment to be faithful to each other and helpful to each other by writing fresh original vows which we will read to each other aloud. We may also, if we wish to, invite close friends and family members to share our renewed vows in a sweet, original ceremony. My action plan is to begin these annual renewals on our first anniversary, next year.

CHILDREN: My wife and I did not want to bring children into this world as an unmarried couple living together; we want to have children who will be born into our married relationship. I want to help my wife raise the children to be strong, well-loved, well-adjusted people. I will give love, leadership, emotional and social stability to my children; and the challenges that we face as parents can be - and will be - met with maturity, Christian faith, and optimism. The U.S.A. Today article asserts that 40% of cohabitating couples bring children into the world, and that is not good. I may be old-fashioned, but kids need to be able to say their parents are married; in the United States, only 63% of children grow up with both biological parents, and my wife and I believe our children will benefit from our loving, caring, married family dynamic.

CHILDREN GOALS AND ACTION PLAN: My wife and I plan to have two children, at least a year apart, with the option for a third child if we both agree that is a good idea once the first two are born and are at least 2 and 3 years old. We intend to bring the children up in a Christian home, with Christian values, and that means teaching the children to be unselfish, kind, generous, and to be knowledgeable about their community, their bodies and their world. The action plan is to have the first child within the first two years of our marriage.

COLLEGE DEGREE: I have completed some college work, but now I am ready to dive into a college curriculum full time, and get my degree. It has been eight years since I took college classes but I am more mature now and I know what I want and where I am going academically and intellectually. Learning is a positive thing, and of course all intelligent and socially conscious adults are learning every day; but when the learning is concentrated through classroom lectures, research, independent study and test-taking, it is almost overwhelming for those who are not prepared. I am prepared, and I stand at the starting line ready to dash into my new learning experience with enthusiasm.

COLLEGE DIPLOMA GOALS AND ACTION PLAN: I plan to begin taking college courses this fall (2006) at the earliest, and this January (2007) at the latest. My goal is to be working full time (or, a minimum of 30 hours per week) while I am taking 12 units in college. I have an action plan - to begin within the next three months - and I intend to have my undergraduate degree by the spring of 2009. I know I can meet that action plan if I work hard, study at every opportunity, and stick to my commitment. I also know that until the final months of her first pregnancy, my wife needs to be working to help our family, and that I need to also take the time to spend with her even though I will be busy with school and with work.

PARENTING: Young people, especially those in their teenage years, need strong leadership and guidance. The temptations that are out there for teens today are very powerful, and when the family unit is not strong, a teen's peer group can easily fill in the gap where the family failed. Peer group pressure can lead children into drug abuse, alcohol abuse, dangerous sexual activities and crime (gangs, etc.). But there are more dangers out there than just gangs and drugs and sex; many children today are hooked on electronic games (Nintendo; X-Boxes), on text messaging, Instant Messaging, violent and sex-themed videos and DVDs, cell phone conversations, and TV and Internet entertainment. I will help to build strong family bonds and do things with my children that are fun and educational, too. I want to take my family camping, fishing, and hiking in the great outdoors; there are many beautiful National Parks and state campsites to visit, and I believe it is the duty of all parents to teach children about the importance of protecting the wilderness and the animals that live in the natural world. Environmental education is perhaps just as important today as learning history and languages.