Running Head: A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE

A Review of Psychologys Value Towards Personal Goals

Luke Lawatsch

Nazareth College

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

A Review of Psychologys Value Towards Personal Goals

As a new student at Nazareth College, I found myself lacking direction. Growing up, I
knew that I had adequate ability in the classroom and exceptional ability when it came to
athletics. The volleyball program is what eventually brought me to Nazareth; however I knew
that it would not provide me with a career. After some research, I decided that I wanted to apply
for the physical therapy doctorate program offered here. Luckily, for me, I was given a minor in
psychology. After a series of events, I picked up psychology as a double major, and as my career
here at Nazareth comes to a close, it is now the only degree I have to show for my time. This
would prove to be a larger gain rather than a loss. Through spending time in the classroom, with
my peers, and under the eye of faculty, I have gained invaluable insight into my own life,
accomplishments, ambitions, motivations, desires, and ultimate goals. I would certainly not be
where I am today without my learning from psychology. It was through this learning that I truly
began to develop the man I assume to be in the future. Here is how psychology plays a role in a
few of my life goals that I deem as most important.
Goal(s):
1) Becoming an engineer.
a. What is it?
Professionally, I have a goal to pursue a degree in engineering. I want to become a
mechanical engineer. I also want to work in/on sustainability because a sub-goal of mine is to
make a positive difference in the world, and to leave it a better place than I found it. So, Im
attempting to merge my professional goal with one of my many personal goals, and work on
developing sustainability practices. Ideally, I would like to work on developing
machines/tools/equipment that may provide for clean energy sources, such as solar or wind

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

power, aka solar panels and windmills, in order to provide for a more self-sustaining society.
However, I find it most invigorating to try and design something completely new and innovative
that may take the world by shock, but ultimately produce incredibly efficient results. I
understand that this sounds ridiculous, but dreams are dreams!
Mechanical engineering is all about taking science and using it to produce things. Its
about translating theoretical research into practical solutions and applications which are used by
society. Mechanical engineers discoveries, creations and developments of technology laid the
foundations for modern life as we know it. Today, they design, maintain, repair, and operate
everything we need in our daily lives now, and in the future they will deliver the solutions to
sustain and protect human societys existence. Humans have always sought to improve the way
they live. Today, mechanical engineering is all about making people healthier, more comfortable,
safer and richer in their daily lives and experiences. We live in a world shaped by engineering.
Engineers contribute significantly to global wealth creation. Thanks to mechanical engineers
many of us enjoy better healthcare, greater life expectancy and a good quality of life. We can get
to school or work every day, and travel around the world for business or holidays. We are better
fed, better clothed and better housed, and we live in a safer environment. This is precisely why I
would like to go into mechanical engineering. I can take my passion for the environment and
human race, and couple that with my academic expertise (to be), and develop unimaginable or
unique ways to better the place that we all call home.
Sustainability can be defined as the endurance of systems and processes. In ecology, it is
how biological systems remain diverse and productive indefinitely. Indefinitely is a wonderful
word. I would like this to be as beautiful a world for my kids as it was for myself and all those
who came before my generation. The last decade and a half has provided an abundance of

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

information leading to the degeneration of the Earths natural processes (i.e. global warming,
deforestation, climate change, etc..). The human race has continued to use and abuse the natural
resources that have been provided to us by this amazing planet. Everything we have ever needed
to survive has been there for the taking. But, what happens when those resources run out? What
will we do? Where will we go? We certainly cannot keep digging deeper, searching frantically
for more and more natural resources, while keeping our fingers crossed in hopes of striking
gold. As fantastical as an idea as space exploration is, we cannot put all of our eggs in one
basket, hoping to develop ways to sustain life on an alternate planet, especially if we cannot
sustain life on a planet that was built for accommodating human life. How can anyone think
we will not repeat our greed and over-consumption on some other planet? I believe we should
focus on how we can better the planet we already have rather than pray for alternative housing
lightyears away.
b. Why is the goal worth pursuing?
We now live in a modern, consumerist, and largely urban existence throughout the
developed world and we consume a lot of natural resources every day. In our urban centers, we
consume more power than those who live in rural settings, and urban centers use a lot more
power than average, keeping our streets and civic buildings lit, to power our appliances, our
heating, and other public and household power requirements. It is estimated that we use about
40% more resources every year than we can put back. This needs to change. Sustainability and
sustainable development focuses on balancing that fine line between competing needs our need
to move forward technologically and economically, and the needs to protect the environments in
which we and others live. Sustainability is not just about the environment, it is also about our
health as a society in ensuring that no people or areas of life suffer as a result of environmental

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

legislation, and its also about examining the longer term effects of the actions humanity takes
and asking questions about how it may be improved.
We live in an increasingly populated world. The population explosion of the last 200
years, the parallel consumption of natural resources, and climate change have all combined to
pose a substantial threat to the long-term survival of global society (Duncan & Pettigrew, 2012).
Mechanical engineers can offer the technological solutions which will reduce our impact on
planet Earths environment, husband our natural resources in a sustainable manner, and ensure
that we have enough energy to cope with the demand and population growth, to keep the lights
on around the world.
Engineers will be vital to shaping society to sustain us for the future: updating and
enhancing our infrastructure in a planned way encompassing energy, transport, housing, town
planning, and land use. These big issues affect the whole world, and engineers will be at the
heart of the matter, providing expertise, knowledge and advice to help governments in advanced,
developing, and underdeveloped regions to come to a consensus to implement world solutions.
c. Necessary steps that I will need to accomplish on the way to my goal?
For the most part, it is relatively straight-forward what steps are necessary for me to
pursue and retrieve a degree in mechanical engineering. As far as academics are concerned, I
need to continue attending an institution which provides a degree path in engineering. I will need
to attend and succeed for another three years. Other steps pertaining to this process include
working tirelessly on my studies throughout each week. I will need to excel at
compartmentalization and be able to break each semester up into smaller pieces, in order to make
my goal more attainable. It will be crucial to remain focused each and every day, never to lose

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

sight of my ultimate goal. Another step amongst the process of becoming a mechanical engineer
includes an internship. This will be essential in getting my feet wet in the field and establishing
valuable connections to companies and organizations with whom I may eventually work for.
Without hard work and well-established connections, it may be difficult to end up working on
what Im truly passionate about. It would be rather unfortunate to receive my degree and end up
with a company whose passion for sustainability doesnt match my own. In order to pursue
valuable internships and a supportive social network, I will need to exhibit social psychology
concepts, such as conformity, to foster positive interactions and coherence amongst my team.
An extremely important factor, that will either aid in my success and accomplishment or
lead to my demise and failure, is motivation. Motivation is defined as the process that initiates,
guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is heavily studied in psychology;
however, it is not completely understood. It is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass
of water when youre thirsty or reading a book to learn. Like intelligence, motivation cant be
directly observed. It is more simply defined as the reason why we (a person) does something. In
certain situations, this reason may seem more explicit, and in others it is more-so implicit. This is
what makes motivation a tricky subject. We dont actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that
one exists based on the behavior(s) we observe (Schultz, 2015). Sometimes the individual
exhibiting a behavior doesnt even know the true motive behind it. Self-report measures may
provide convoluted results, while observation, whether it is natural or laboratory style, may be no
better. There are multiple theories of motivation, however I simply wanted to state how
motivation will be a necessary step to accomplish my goals, or will be an extremely large
obstacle along the way. Personally, motivation has been one of my biggest challenges throughout
my upper-level academic career.

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

d. Foreseeable obstacles?
However, the entirety of this goal is not so simple. There are a few underlying factors and
potential obstacles that must be addressed. As stated before, my largest concern is motivation.
My motivation has taken a rollercoaster-type path since the beginning of my academic career.
School has usually come naturally to me, and Ive been able to get by without much struggle.
So, when it comes to something truly challenging, for example, college courses, it took a lot of
experimenting for what works best for me. This was a challenge because I have never had to
consciously put effort towards school. So, attempting to do find out what works best for me,
during a time of peak stress and difficulty, it was hard to get up to speed. Hopefully, and luckily,
for me, mixing passion with my profession will lead to a maximum output of motivation towards
my goal. However, only the future knows the true result of how this will work out. Another
foreseeable obstacle will be money. College credits are expensive! I am already 22 years of age,
finalizing one degree path, while attempting to begin an entirely new path. This will leave me at
about 25 years of age and eight years of debt to deal with. However, money comes and goes, so I
mustnt let this become too high of a priority where it gets in the way of other important
intermediate goals. As I discuss my other goals, and their interplay, more foreseeable obstacles
will become more apparent.
Research in psychology has demonstrated the importance of teams in organizational
efficiency and effectiveness. Meta-analyses have compiled results implicating the importance of
team-efficacy, generalized potency, and performance. Team-efficacy refers to a teams belief that
it can successfully perform a specific task. Similarly, group potency refers to a broader sense of
the group or team, and generalized beliefs about the capabilities of the team across tasks and
contexts. Bandura (1997) suggested that team-efficacy influences what people choose to do as a

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGYS VALUE TOWARDS PERSONAL GOALS

team, how much effort they put into it, and their staying power when collective efforts fail to
produce results. Research from Prussia and Kinicki (1996) supports this notion, and fount that
collective efficacy was related to collective goals and performance (Gully, 2002). Also, research
has shown that teams high in potency perform better than teams low in potency (Duffy & Shaw,
2000). Significant positive associations between potency and productivity, employee satisfaction,
and managerial ratings of performance were also found (Gully, 2002).
This research will provide valuable insight into how I can improve the performance of my
team or organization when it comes to my career. It will also allow for me to personally be more
satisfied with my life at work.
2) Becoming a parent.
a. What is it?
My second goal is rather straightforward, with a few implicit implications and desires.
Mainly, I want to become a father, at a reasonable time in my life. My Dad is my hero, and
always will be. This is not because of any outstanding achievements hes compiled, but simply
because of the role model he has been in taking care of my family and myself. This is one of
those goals that is deeply rooted within my inner-being. Since my first memories as a kid, this is
one of the few things that has resonated with me throughout my life. One of those goals that has
never changed, altered, or been crushed by any hardships in life. Through all of the change I
have endured, this goal remains consistent. I have been blessed with opportunity that not many
are able to fully appreciate. I have two loving parents who have been by my side through the
good and the bad. And there has been plenty of bad. But, even through all of the downfalls, I
cannot help but be thankful for what I do have, and what I have accomplished. I simply cannot
be proud of anything I have accomplished without acknowledging the two leaders whom I call

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Mom and Dad. They are intelligent, open-minded, conscientious, motivated, hard-working,
selfless, and loving individuals. As stated before, they are excellent role models. This is what I
believe to be the root of this particular goal of mine. I want to pass on what I have been
blessed with. Whether it is the lessons taught to me, or the opportunity given to me, I want to do
my part as best I can to give even a fraction of that to someone I call my own. They have
developed, what I like to believe to be, a winner. Someone with a can-do attitude, who in times
of circumstance and hardship, still manages to prevail. Someone who, when their back is up
against the wall, makes the right decisions and performs above expectations. Without them in my
life I cannot even begin to imagine where I would be at this very moment. So, in summary, my
goal of becoming a father is not simply to bear children and be a part in creating a family, but to
be as amazing of a role model as possible, and to show my potential children how important it is
to be a good person. I want to be a provider, a rock, a genuine lover, and an all-around
superhero to those who call me Dad.
b. Why is this goal worth pursuing?
Now, there will be a lot of overlap between what my goal is and why it is worth pursuing.
As stated previously, my father has been an absolute definition of a role model to myself. To
define such a person goes as stated; a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be
emulated by others, especially by younger people. I cannot speak for my four siblings, two girls
and two boys, but I cant imagine they would say anything against the grains of what I am
attempting to describe as the person who I call Dad. Both of my parents are pharmacists, which
has allowed for more flexibility than most families experience, financially. However, instead of
attempting to break the barrier from middle-class to upper-class financial citizens, they opted to
conceive FIVE children! In this day and age, and American culture, five kids may seem like a

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death sentence. But they have done nothing but take it one graceful stride at a time. They have
sacrificed so much, more than my own personal words and experiences can explain, that it
moves powerful emotions within me to even think about. They have instilled incredible insight
into each and every one of us as to what is truly important about this all-too-short of a conscious
state that we call life. Now, what is important to one person is clearly not the same as what is
important to another. For some people, money is the main motivator. For others, love is the
ultimate goal. Some cherish simple happiness, while others strive to simply, or not so simply,
make a difference. And, for some, it is to provide a balance of the sum of these rather clich
motivations. That is where I find myself. I want to give everything I possibly can to my family,
and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to compete with what my father has given to
me. Through my personal experiences, I have found it extremely important to pay-it-forward,
and to only give it my best effort to allow my children to lead a life as wonderful as mine, in a
world that, for the most part, has been extremely beautiful. Although I have not experienced
having a child of my own, I still cannot imagine a greater pleasure than seeing someone you love
and value experience something so magical, for lack of a better term. To experience them
experiencing emotions and situations that words fail to explain. To give them the ability to make
a difference, empower others, break societal barriers, and to love others with an unrivaled
passion. I have always been passionate about leaving this world a better place than I found it, and
what better way to ensure that then to foster a new generation to continue the legacy once I am
long gone. Ignore the biological implications to reproduce, and focus on the opportunity to
develop a being with absolutely no ceilings. This is a truly beautiful idea that ignites passion
throughout my entire being. So, as much as any one person may disagree with what has been
stated, I truly believe it to be a path/goal worth pursuing.

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c. Necessary steps that I will need to accomplish on the way to my goal?

The necessary steps to accomplish my goal of becoming a parent are arguably
straightforward. However, I consider myself a very complicated individual. So, what many
conventionally plan on their way to parenthood may not coincide with my own desires. Yes, at
the end of the day I just want to be a father, but if it were up to me, there are many other factors
that play into this goal. This may come off as shallow, but I dont think many parents, or parentsto-be, would disagree. I want my kids to be absolutely magnificent creatures, absolute studs. I
long for them to purely dominate in any facet of life they so choose. Being a collegiate athlete,
who has longed to play professional sports since the first time I remember picking up a ball, I
want my kids to be able to realistically pursue that dream, if they so choose. I want my children
to excel without effort, exceed their dreams, prosper, prevail, and enjoy every single moment that
they experience. However, these goals originated at immature times of my life, and I
understand that although these may be my goals for them, that they may not even come close to
the same thought process. So, more realistically, I want my kids to be healthy, strong-willed,
open-minded, passionate, and simply happy, overall. Ive grown to realize that I will not be able
to force them down some aforementioned path, but to simply inspire them to be the best they can
be, and to appreciate what opportunities they come to enjoy. I believe a large step to achieving
this is to find someone, a soulmate, equally passionate, intelligent, and caring towards her
children as I am. Someone who values me as much as I will come to value her. Someone who I
can be happy with, and provide a wonderful example with. Someone whom, together, models the
behavior and attributes that I long for in my children. Without this very special someone, it may
become difficult to be autonomous in our actions as we are with our words and thoughts. This
balance is crucial, and also what I believe to be the most difficult thing about parenting. If you

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are not a well-respected team, that works together through everything, it will become evidently
problematic to exemplify such an ideal.
The next necessary step piggybacks off of my first goal. Before I plan to have children, I
want to be financially secure. I dont think it is an intelligent idea to begin a family when you do
not have the means to support it to the extent that you wish. As Ive mentioned, I desire a lot for
my children. Many of these things will not be possible without some sort of financial freedom.
So, for this to happen, I must secure a providing career. And, as far as Im concerned, if I become
a mechanical engineer who works in sustainability, then I will be well-off enough.
A third step, and last, for the sake of this discussion, pertains to development. This is
where I really plan to utilize much of my knowledge of psychology. Development has always
been one of my favorite areas of psychology. Im not sure why, maybe because of my desire to
become a parent, or possibly because there is so much valuable and valid research done on the
topic that it honestly excites me. Developmental psychology has expanded to include the entire
lifespan, but what I am specifically concerned about, for now, is the field of infancy and
adolescent development. Of course I will do my best to continually develop my kin, but once
they reach a certain age I feel as though it is important to allow for them to develop more
independently. Some major theories of human development include Freuds psychosexual
theories, Eriksons psychosocial theories, and Piagets theory of cognitive development. Freuds
theory describes how personality develops during childhood through a series of stages in which
the pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. This
psychosexual energy was described as the driving force behind behavior. Eriksons theory
describes how personality develops through the impact of social experiences across the whole
lifespan. In each stage, an individual is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life.

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If that stage is handled well, then the individual will feel a sense of mastery, and if not, a sense
of inadequacy. The sum of these experiences then impacts how an individual views him/herself
and their purpose in life. These first two theories pertain to personality development through
childhood and life. At times they both have radical ideas, but some parts hold a lot of validity.
Personally, a balance of ideas from each theory should be utilized in order to maximize
development during childhood. Piagets theory is more widely accepted, and describes cognitive
development through a series of four key stages, marked by shifts in how children understand the
world. I concern myself with this theory more than most other theories because I believe it to be
very valid and very important. Cognitive abilities are crucial in life, and the point at which those
qualities begin to develop is underrated or misunderstood. Cognition begins developing from the
moment of birth, and according to Piaget, has rather distinct stages that are correlated with
different ages. I would like to utilize these stages as a guideline for how my child should be
developing. Obviously I cannot hold my child to exactly follow these stages, but if some
things dont coincide at a reasonable rate, then there is definitely cause for concern.
Again, these are theories, and not laws of development. I view them as educational
guidelines to how to make sure your kid ends up normal, to put it in my own words. A
balance of give and take, reward and punish, and natural and intervening learning may produce
the best results. I understand that these are not necessarily steps to raising children, but these
ideas will certainly be something I consider daily when raising my kids.
Life history research has demonstrated that as the child grows up there will be both
factors which will be associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorder and factors which
protect the child against this risk (Caprara & Rutter, 1995). Among factors such as high-selfesteem and good coping skills, positive relationships with parents are inversely correlated to

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emotional and behavioral problems. According to a study (Flouri & Buchanan, 2002), positive
father involvement protected male children from higher levels of adolescent distress, and female
adolescents from higher levels of adulthood distress. The father-child relationship was shown to
have more significance in young males life than the mother-child relationship. Also, closeness to
fathers during childhood was positively related to adult daughters and sons educational and
occupational mobility, psychological adjustment, and well-being (Flouri & Buchanan, 2002).
Also, father involvement and nurturance are positively associated with childrens intellectual
development, social competence, internal locus of control, and the ability to empathize (Flouri &
Buchanan, 2002). Through these implications, and my own experiences, I find it extremely
important for me to be an outstanding role-model for my children. If I truly want to maximize the
development of them, then my relationship with them is as valuable as their relationship with
their mother.
d. Foreseeable obstacles?
One significant issue in developmental psychology is the relationship between innateness
and environmental influence, AKA nature vs. nurture. This will absolutely be an obstacle that I
will encounter in pursuit of my goal. However, I plan to eliminate as much ambiguity between
the two as possible by completing the first step that I previously mentioned. This consists of
finding an incredible life partner. Hopefully, together, we will be able to bear children who are
healthy, most importantly, and also on a level playing field with their peers, meaning without
disability. I feel as though much of this may be controlled, for lack of a better term, during prenatal development. However, there is always a chance that something goes wrong. After birth,
however, I believe the environment the child encounters plays a slightly more important role than
biological processes, in terms of development and who they are. This is why I believe it is

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important to possess the necessary means for raising your family in the way that you desire, in
order to maximize the opportunity and ability of your children.
My only other concern, or foreseeable obstacle, which may not even be an obstacle at all, is
my knowledge of psychology. I feel as though being educated is always better than not, but
Im concerned that I may overthink certain situations or attempt to control too much about
development that it actually interferes with healthy development. Other than that, the only
foreseeable obstacles are the ones current caregivers encounter on a daily basis of raising that
beautiful bundle of sunshine. It all depends on whether you view those as obstacles or merely
as part of the blessing of having children (i.e. kids fighting, crying, causing frustration, etc.).
3) Balancing work and family in a healthy way to ensure financial security and life
satisfaction.
a. What is it?
My third and final goal to discuss consists of the interplay between my first two goals.
This is why I deemed it necessary to discuss my first two goals of becoming an engineer and
raising a family. My third goal is to manage a healthy balance between work and family, all
while maintaining a high life satisfaction rating. Two things that I have always valued are
peace of mind and general happiness. I say general happiness because obviously there will come
times in my life where happiness is not my current emotion, but if I can maintain a happy
demeanor throughout life then I will truly have no regrets. I believe too many people focus on
more complicated desires and end up having regrets when they do not accomplish or fulfill those
desires. Through all of the complicated technicalities of my persona, I have always considered
myself a fairly simple man, at least when it comes to what is truly important to me. So, if I can
manage to balance my career and my family, all while maintaining a high level of general

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happiness, then I will not perish with regrets on my shoulders. That is my ultimate goal. To be
able to have peace of mind while Im passing away.
What I mean by balance is that I work enough to provide a financially stable environment
to my family, but without sacrificing invaluable family time and activities (i.e. family dinner,
birthdays, first-moments, and extracurricular events). But, this is not a balance between two
factors. The third factor is my personal happiness. Now, I would be rather satisfied if I were only
able to juggle my career and my family, if both of those things were thriving. But, obviously, I
have some personal pleasures that I enjoy that do not have to do with work or family. A few
examples include exercising, spending time with friends, reading, adventuring around new
landscapes, participating in sporting events, etc. All of these do not necessarily include my
family, and, quite honestly, I would rather keep some of them completely separate from my
family. I have always enjoyed my own company and cherished moments of utter peace and quiet,
alone to my own thoughts. If I can fit all three of these areas into my schedule, while still getting
a necessary amount of sleep, then I will be extremely satisfied with my life.
b. Why is it worth pursuing?
Even without considering personal reasons as to why this goal is worth pursuing, the
health implications of balancing work life and family life cannot be ignored. An imbalance of
work and family can weigh heavily on an individual, both physically and mentally (Rantanen,
2013). Research has indicated a high correlation between the work-family balance and
depression, anxiety, irritability, and overall stress (McNamara, 2013). Along with mental health
problems, the strain of balancing family life and professional life is associated with physical
symptoms such as fatigue, lack of appetite, and nervous tension (St-Amour, 2007). Alone, high
levels of stress are correlated to negative physical and emotional symptoms. A few of these

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include high blood pressure, chest pain, problems with sex and sleep, depression, panic attacks,
and other forms of anxiety (Michel, 2015). Also, poor health/lifestyle choices are common
outcomes of attempting to manage the stress. All of these symptoms lead to a shorter life span.
Without my health, there is no way for me to adequately support my family. If I wish to
accomplish my first two goals, then my health is of utmost importance. This is a place where the
balance becomes a factor. I need to work and fulfil familial obligations in order to provide for my
loved ones, but I also need to take care of myself and my health. And they often go hand-inhand. They both depend on each other. If I fail to properly balance these areas of my life, then
long-term effects may inhibit my ability to accomplish the aforementioned goals.
Studies of psychological research in the area of work-family balance have shined a light
on the importance of how that balance correlates to personal health and well-being. The
imbalance of work and family may be referred to as work-family conflict. This occurs when
efforts to fulfill work role demands interfere with ones ability to fulfill family demands and vice
versa (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Work-family conflict has been linked to heightened
psychological distress, lowered life satisfaction, increases in physical symptomatology, and
elevated levels of heavy alcohol use (Greenhaus & Collins, 2003). These negative implications
often piggy-back off of one another. To brisk the surface of the issue, simply high levels of stress
correlate to major health issues. A few examples of conditions that arise due to distress include
generalized anxiety disorder, hypochondriasis, and high blood pressure (Cole, 2015). Note that
both physical and mental health is affected. This research highlights the importance of
maintaining a healthy balance between work and family, and the negative implications on
personal health and well-being if an individual fails to do so. There is no arguing the
prioritization of this balance if I wish to be successful in accomplishing my goals.

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c. Necessary steps that I will need to accomplish on the way to my goal?

Naturally, there will be individual differences in how an individual manages to balance
their life, based upon how they prioritize certain aspects of their life (Morganson, 2014).
Personally, my top priorities include my health, my family, and then my career. Fortunately, I
plan to be passionate about my career path. I believe thats important to mental health. I am also
passionate about my physical health, which will allow for me to relieve stress while also keeping
myself healthy. With these two factors considered, I will hopefully have ample time and energy
to devote towards my family. I think it will be crucial to break these steps down into smaller,
more manageable, day-to-day activities. Some examples consist of activities such as yoga, or
some form of meditation, organized time for concrete and relational goals, and understanding
what can and cannot be controlled.
d. Foreseeable obstacles?
I have always considered my somewhat-perfectionist attitude to benefit me, however this
may end up being one of my largest obstacles to overcome. I desire and expect certain ideals
from my career, and most certainly from my family, that are somewhat unrealistic. I need to
come to understand that everything will not work out perfectly, and that I will not have a perfect
family, or a perfect life, but that I must simply control what I can. If I cant adopt an alternative
attitude, then I could become very dissatisfied with life in general. This would then have a
domino effect on all other aspects of my life.
Another obstacle is burnout. I cant allow myself to work too much, in attempts to
financially provide for my family, to the point where my health begins to decline or my personal
relationships are negatively affected. In order to manage this, I plan to set aside specific

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scheduled activities away from the workplace. Whether its spending time with the family or
participating in a stress-relieving activity, these work-free times will help me maintain the workfamily balance.
In conclusion, this really merely begins to delve into how large of a role psychology
plays in my pursuit of life. The thought of psychological research excites me, and the endless
possible implications of such provides me with positive emotions and hope. Psychology can be
used essentially every single day of ones life. Whether its stress management, pondering
existential ideas or ideas of conscious, or merely understanding why a two-year old doesnt
remember where they put their shoes. All facets of life contain at least a sliver of psychological
reasoning, and this is why I love this academic discipline. Here at Nazareth College, psychology
has empowered me to grow, mentally, in ways I would have scoffed at in years past. I have
developed goals beyond playing professional sports, or being a video-game tester for life, and
have finally seen my true potential value to society, life, and the world. For this, I will be forever
grateful and supportive of all those who ever have and ever will tread the waters known as
psychology.

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