Describe a long-term goal you would like to achieve IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe a long-term goal you would like to achieve You should say:

• What the goal is
• How long have you had this goal
• How you would achieve it
• And explain why you set this goal.

Sample 1 

I have a lot of goals on my bucket list which I want to achieve in my life. I want to talk about a sweet shop I want to open. This adorable shop goal came to mind when I sat with my grandfather in their lovely shop.

My father has changed his profession to the IT sector. So, my grandpa is the only one who can handle that business. I want to open a new sweet shop according to the current market situation. It was my childhood dream, and I worked in a company to earn money. Apart from that, I am also in touch with some marketing tycoons who can support and sponsor my little sweet shop. I got all the information that is necessary for a person to open a sweet shop. 

As it is our family business, I have an automatic taste in my hands. It’s a gift from God, as I have heard from others. As I mentioned, it is my childhood dream, and I want to achieve this goal because it’s my grandfather’s dream to open a giant sweet shop. But unfortunately, for some reason, he had to close the shop because my father didn’t want to pursue his career in that field. But now, I want to fulfil my grandfather’s dream of opening this sweet shop. Therefore, I have a deep connection with this goal and would achieve it within 5 or 6 years. 

Sample 2

A long-term goal I would like to achieve is setting up my hospital. I thought about this goal in my first year of college in 2019. I will work on my managerial skills to complete this long-term goal and require funds. So, I have planned to work hard for that and in a strategic manner. And why I want to make this goal, I want to achieve this goal because in my undergraduate, I worked in many hospitals and I visited many hospitals.

Moreover, I have visited many hospitals with my mother for her checkup. So, I have always found out the shortcomings and the areas of improvement where, as a hospital, people can work. To fulfil those things, I have a goal in mind: I want to set up my hospital.

Sample 3

In my life, I have achieved many short-term goals within some time. Apart from that, if I talk about a long-term goal, I set a long-term goal to achieve. In India, I had a good experience as a primary teacher. After completing my Bachelor of Education, I dreamed of running an educational institute for eight years. So now, I am in Canada; I want to have a good international experience here because I am an early childhood educator at level one.

Moreover, I want to get level three because if I get level three, I have more knowledge about education and the teaching line. Apart from that, if I achieve this long-term goal in my life, then it would be very respectable for me because, in Canada, this job is very respectable, the salary package is also good, and I have a lot of facilities here.

Apart from that, it’s my passion to achieve this goal because it’s my dream job. So that’s why I want to run an educational institute in the future. If I get a chance, that’s why I’m doing my best to achieve the success of my dream.

Sample 4

n everybody’s life, we have long- and short-term goals, but here I want to talk about a long-term goal that I set up for myself: opening an NGO school in India. I was thinking about it from childhood because I saw very needy and poor people in my place.

So, I have also taught students in India as a tutor from the first standard to the tenth standard, but it was also free in my childhood because I was passionate about it. Then I taught some of the kids who needed tuition from me, and nowadays, like I am in Canada, I am also an early-age educator in daycare.

It is a longer-term goal because if I send somebody to open my NGO school in India, I will budget everything according to my plan. I would have a five-year long-term plan to save some money, and if I have less money, I will get some help from my family and friends. I set this goal because I saw some needy and poor people in my area. I am from Belleville, which is on the rural side, and I saw many people who needed education but needed proper education and life standards due to having no money and no tutors there.

So, they didn’t get any success, name, or fame. I set this goal because if I teach them properly and give them a better education, they also have many opportunities for a better lifestyle. It is a long-term goal that I want to achieve in the upcoming years.

Sample 5

I have many long-term goals that I would like to achieve. Still, the preferable goal of my life is to open a trucking business in the USA, which is one of my goals. I want to do business in California, one of the biggest cities in the US.

So, I started thinking about this business five years ago when my brother left this country and travelled to the US. He started working in a truck company, so I would like to travel to the USA and start driving a truck because I will surely buy my vehicle once I get settled down in the USA. I want to do this business because it is my passion to start my own business in a transport company, and I want to earn more money to have a luxurious and wonderful life.

Moreover, I love to drive big machines, and it is one of the best machines I would love to drive.

I would buy a Mercedes Benz and a Volvo truck. They are spacious, excellent, and luxurious, all with amenities. Once I go to the US, I will start my business.

Sample 6

Everyone has their own goals according to their interest. My primary goal for the upcoming year is to build six-pack abs to enhance my personality. This goal mainly attracts the interest of gym freaks individuals.

I have had this goal since childhood when I saw one of my favourite fitness influencers, an actor and social worker named Sonu Sood. He is a good person, and he helped impoverished people immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He influenced me very much with his work and his body, and he is kind-hearted. I also adopted his personality not only physically but also his thinking and beliefs, and it will be a positive aspect for me in the future and also help me to keep myself disciplined and physically attractive.

Follow-ups

1. Should parents set goals for children? 

Parents can do that, but first, they must find their children’s interests. It doesn’t make sense if a child wants to become a cricketer, but his parents have set the goals for the teacher. It’s a different sector. For that reason, parents should first ask about their children’s interests. Then, set up the goals for them according to their interest. 

or

Parents should think about short-term goals if the kids are very young. For example, they have to set up goals and tell the kids they have to do some lightweight work. Still, if I talk about teenagers, they are free to think about themselves, and the parents do not need to set up their goals; they can guide their kids because they have a lot of experience.

2. When do young people start to set goals for themselves? 

Young people usually start dreaming about their goals in their teenage years, between the ages of 11 and 15. I was the one who set up my goal at that age, too. 

or

Now that I have just discussed it, people can start to set up their goals in their teenage years because, at that age, they feel free to make their own decisions, and they will be more mature than children.

3. What kind of goals do you think are realistic? 

There are a lot of realistic goals, like becoming a teacher, a doctor, an engineer, or a pilot. These are practical and achievable goals. Realistic means achievable. For example, if a person who is overweight thinks about losing 100 kgs in one month, that is not realistic, but if he thinks about losing 5 kgs, that is realistic.

4. Why do people set goals?

 People set goals because it gives them a clear way and path to achieve them. Therefore, they set a goal and the amount of time they need for the goals. Apart from that, they can gather the information while they set up a goal. Like how much money they need, how many resources they need, and how many people they need.

5. How would you feel if you couldn’t achieve your goals? 

I’m not the kind of person who feels disappointed. Because it’s a human thing, only some are perfect. Failing is also a part of life. A person should never get disappointed if they don’t achieve their goals. Apart from that, they should set up a new goal or work on the current one. 

or

If I can’t achieve a goal, I feel demotivated and think I couldn’t do this. But if I think about it positively, I have to think I didn’t get the things because I didn’t do them properly. We should think about it positively when doing things.

6. What are your long-term goals, and how do you plan to achieve them? 

Some of my long-term goals are, firstly, I want to do a master’s, and after that, I plan to do a PhD in my field of interest. Other than that I am good at when it comes to leadership. So I can make a team which can work efficiently. So, I want to get a good hold of managerial skills and set up my hospital. 

7. How do you prioritize your long-term goals among other commitments and responsibilities?

 My long-term goals go hand in hand with my other commitments. I am committed to learning and excelling in my academics, which will lead to achieving my long-term goals. 

8. Can you describe a long-term goal you have already accomplished and what steps you took to achieve it?

 I always used to picture myself as a member of some student council back in my school days. But when I got admission to my college, I got to know that they have a student council, and I was inspired by the people who were the council members. So, in my final year of graduation, I nominated myself for the post of council head or student body association president. The voting was done, and I was elected among three other participants for that post. So I have achieved one long-term goal of mine of being a council head at my college. 

9. How do you stay motivated and focused on your long-term goals, especially during challenging times? 

Whenever I feel that I have to achieve something in my life, I journal my raw emotions and thoughts on a piece of paper, and whenever I think that the time is very challenging or the time is taking my test, I go back and go back to that journal of mine. I read it, and I make sure that I stay within my goal. 

10. Have your long-term goals evolved or changed over time?

 Yes, my long-term goals have evolved a lot. Back in my childhood, I used to dream about being a lawn tennis player, but as I went further with my studies and everything, I realized that I am better at other things. So I dreamed of being a lawn tennis player, but then I evolved a lot and understood that our goals could be more practical to happen in real life. 

11. How do you track your progress toward your long-term goal? 

So whenever I think about a long-term goal, I write it down on a piece of paper, and when I write my thoughts or emotions, I make a separate column to write the strategic pathways I can take to accomplish that goal. I make sure that I step by step follow the path I made, and I keep updating myself by talking to people who have already reached that level. So they always are a perfect and inspiring guiding light in my life. 

12. What role does setting milestones play in achieving your long-term goals? 

Setting milestones is a perfect way to stay motivated throughout. Whenever you achieve a milestone, it gives you a sense of achievement, and you get even your determination gets more muscular, and you can focus on your long-term goal even more. 

13. How do you ensure your long-term goals align with your values and aspirations? 

I have always looked up to my father for his approach to life. He has guided me throughout, and I have shared my long-term goals. So he supports me and gives me another aspect of looking at the same thing. So, that has helped me to sustain my values with my aspirations. 

14. Are there any resources or support systems you rely on to help you achieve your long-term goals? 

Yes, I rely on my parents and myself to achieve my goals because my parents would never feel bad for me, and I can accomplish my long-term goals. So these are the two people in my life where I can rely. 

15. Can you share any advice for others setting and pursuing their long-term goals? 

Yes, the people setting a long-term goal for themselves should get a reality check of the market of interest. They should talk to people who have already achieved that long-term goal. They should read more inspiring stories and have somebody as their motivator and guide.