My Life Portfolio: Reflection on Aging, Goals, and Strategies

This report presents a student's My Life Portfolio, a reflection on aging and future planning, developed as part of a Gerontology assignment. The student, currently in college and aspiring to be a registered nurse, outlines personal goals post-retirement, including community service, spiritual development, and lifelong learning. The report examines factors influencing goal achievement, such as health, culture, and finances, while also considering the impact of these factors on their future. Strategies for achieving these goals are discussed, including setting SMART goals and avoiding procrastination. The student emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, cultural awareness, and financial planning to facilitate a fulfilling and meaningful life in older age. The report concludes with a focus on strategies like SMART goal planning, avoiding procrastination, and instilling self-discipline to support the achievement of their goals.

Running head: My Life Portfolio
My Life Portfolio
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1My Life Portfolio
Introduction
Life is ever-changing and dynamic. We cannot restrain it, neither cannot control it, so as
our ageing process. However, our actions and planning can impact how we will be spending the
last years of our life. Currently, I study in college and look forward to become a registered nurse
in future. I would like to devote myself in the noble work of caring. Setting up some clear goals
and accomplishing these goals would make my ageing meaningful (Epton, Currie & Armitage,
2017). Personally, my goals after age of 65 would be to devote myself in community services, to
explore the meaning of life by embracing spirituality and continuing lifelong learning, which I
believe will be useful for accomplishing my former tasks. It has been clearly stated by (), that the
world is in constant change and hence both children and adults need to continue with personal
development by continuing education throughout the life.
Community service
Being a responsible young adult of this community, I have understood how community
fights back during times of crisis. It is the community based services that extends their hands of
help to the elderly persons, those who are homeless, those with disabilities, or those having
mental illness and are in the need of community services (Gray, Mendelsohn & Omoto, 2015).
While participating in several community based campaigns, I have realized that it is the unpaid
community workers that often acts as a glue which tends to hold a community together. It is
volunteering that allows someone to connect with the community. Hence, when I grow older, I
will devote much of my time in community based activities. Even, now I try to volunteer in
noble community based activities like health campaign or blood donation camps or visiting the
community aged care homes for distributing the goodies.

2My Life Portfolio
Spiritual development
It has been stated by Black and Hannum, (2015) that spirituality and religious
participation has been highly correlated with successful and positive ageing and has been
considered to be as important as diet, mental stimulation, and exercise. I personally believe that
spirituality can help you to find your inner self .although I am not a very religious person, but I
definitely believe in spirituality. I have heard people saying about connectedness and finding the
meaning and purpose of life. Spirituality has also been found to help people cope up with illness
and suffering and assists in taking end of life decisions. I would indulge myself in creative
spiritual practices like meditation, developing resilience, active and deep listening and participate
in council circles. Since, I am fond or music, I will focus on creative spiritual music.
Lifelong learning
I have always believed in the fact that knowledge is power and the only way to retain and
update your knowledge is to carry on with lifelong learning. I would like to continue with
lifelong learning, because, as being a nurse, I have always seen how life-long learning improves
the critical thinking and problem solving skills (Qalehsari, Khaghanizadeh & Ebadi, 2017).
Furthermore, lifelong learning has been found to be more effective in improving the nursing
education. As I grow old, I will retire from my job, but my habit of lifelong learning will keep
me updated about new nursing researches and I will joyously cherish my days as a nurse.
Factors that would influence in the achievement of the goals
Certain factors in my lifetime will act as a facilitator as well as a barrier to achieve my
personal goals of life. While there are many such factors, of which my culture, health and
economic will play a huge role, in fulfilling goals.

3My Life Portfolio
Health
As a person, age, he/ she is subjected to several physiological and psychological changes.
Some of the common health conditions related to ageing includes hearing impairment, refractive
errors, back or neck pain, immobility and other chronic diseases like diabetes, COPD, dementia
and cancer (Aldwin et al., 2016). These diseases greatly affects the life of an elderly person. I has
mentioned in the above section, that I would like to indulge in community based services, which
might not be possible, if I have mobility restrictions. However, I try to keep myself in sound
health by maintaining a healthy life style, such as eating nutritious food and proper physical
activities, which believe will keep me strong to work for my fellow community.
Culture
Individuals from various cultures internalizes ageing in different ways. My culture and
beliefs since childhood has always taught me to help others irrespective of the cast and creed.
My culture permits me to go out and work with several communities of ethnic minorities. Again,
it cannot be denied that culture plays an important role for the development of personality, which
will remain the same throughout ones life (Goulding & Davenport, 2018). Individuals in various
cultures learn to value their personal autonomy and uniqueness from the time of birth, by
promoting interactions with their parents. Again, their perception might change as they grow up
guided by the norms and the culture. For example, a cross cultural studies have stated that the
optimism is closely associated with self-enhancing tendencies that is considered to be more
desirable among the European Americans than among the East Asians. Hence, my culture has
always encouraged to remain optimistic about life. I aim to remain optimistic throughout my life
and look forward to achieve my goals.

4My Life Portfolio
Economics/finance
A lot of financial changes comes in play as a person ages. Ageing is associated with the
several comorbidities and financial losses as there are no sources of income as such, hence it is
necessary to indulge in a constant financial planning (Moffatt & Heaven, 2017). A proper
financial planning will allow me to manage my goals. By the end of my college, I would take an
admission to a professional course, which I have thought off, quite a long time back and by the
end of three years, I can see myself as a registered nurse. By the time, I reach the age of 35, my
responsibilities would increase. The financial planning at this stage will make me ready for my
later working. I would save and invest in those schemes that will have some fruitful returns. I
would make sure that all my insurances covers the unexpected health emergencies that is likely
to occur in this stage and later life. I can anticipate to have a comfortable ageing with all my
goals achieved.
Strategies that needs to be adopted to support my future life
 In order to achieve my personal goals I will set up a SMART goal plan. Establishing a
SMART goal assists a person to clarify on ideas and to focus on the efforts or an
individual. It also enables a person to allocate his time in that way that will promise a
fruitful return (Epton, Currie & Armitage, 2017)
My SMART goal-By the year 2025, I will complete my professional course with good
grades and will establish myself as a registered nurses is an esteemed healthcare
organization.
 I will avoid procrastination. Procrastination can make an individual less productive
leading to higher levels of stress and can also promote negative feelings. It is a self-
defeating behaviour that can furnish a sense of discomfort among the candidates (Kim &

5My Life Portfolio
Seo 2015). Hence, to avoid procrastination, there is a necessity of SMART planning, with
less distractions. I would reorganize my work in to smaller chunks, such that they are
easily doable.
 I would instil self-discipline in myself and will point out the strengths and the
weaknesses. Self-discipline is self-control, that is inner strength and control of one self. It
assists a person to stick to his/her decisions (Gorbunovs, Kapenieks & Cakula, 2016).

6My Life Portfolio
References
Aldwin, C. M., Igarashi, H., Gilmer, D. F., & Levenson, M. R. (2017). Health, illness, and
optimal aging: Biological and psychosocial perspectives. Springer Publishing Company.
Black, H. K., & Hannum, S. M. (2015). Aging, Spirituality, and Time: A Qualitative Study.
Journal of religion, spirituality & aging, 27(2-3), 145–165.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2014.1003274
Epton, T., Currie, S., & Armitage, C. J. (2017). Unique effects of setting goals on behavior
change: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of consulting and clinical
psychology, 85(12), 1182. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000260
Gorbunovs, A., Kapenieks, A., & Cakula, S. (2016). Self-discipline as a key indicator to improve
learning outcomes in e-learning environment. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,
231, 256-262. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.09.100
Goulding, A., & Davenport, B. (Eds.). (2018). Resilience and ageing: creativity, culture and
community. Policy Press.
Gray, N. N., Mendelsohn, D. M., & Omoto, A. M. (2015). Community connectedness,
challenges, and resilience among gay Latino immigrants. American Journal of
Community Psychology, 55(1-2), 202-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-014-9697-4

7My Life Portfolio
Kim, K. R., & Seo, E. H. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic
performance: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 26-33.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.038
McManus, M. C., & Taylor, C. M. (2015). The changing nature of life cycle assessment.
Biomass and bioenergy, 82, 13-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.04.024
Moffatt, S., & Heaven, B. (2017). ‘Planning for uncertainty’: narratives on retirement transition
experiences. Ageing & Society, 37(5), 879-898.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X15001476
Qalehsari, M. Q., Khaghanizadeh, M., & Ebadi, A. (2017). Lifelong learning strategies in
nursing: A systematic review. Electronic physician, 9(10), 5541–5550.
https://doi.org/10.19082/5541