What is Important to Me?
| Marilyn Schnittjer Former Extension Family Life Specialist Iowa State University Extension | Written, April 2007 |
When establishing family and business goals, it is a good idea to assess your individual goals. Below is a survey for farmers with at least ten years remaining in their farming career to help them assess what is important to them. This will help them establishing their individual goals. Think through these statements and either strongly agree (SA), agree (A) or disagree (D).
| 1. I want to make sacrifices and plow farm income back into the farm at this point in time to invest in the future. | SA | A | D |
| 2. It is important to me to have time and money for recreation, vacations and entertainment. | SA | A | D |
| 3. I want to have close relationships with children and guide them to becoming responsible adults in the future. | SA | A | D |
| 4. I want to build farm assets for our later years and to pass on to children in the future. | SA | A | D |
| 5. It is important to me to be actively involved in our church, school, and community. | SA | A | D |
| 6. I want to maximize productivity and will use the techniques that allow me to meet this goal. | SA | A | D |
| 7. Good health is what matters most in life and I do everything I can to protect it. | SA | A | D |
| 8. It is important to me to not be too far in debt. | SA | A | D |
| 9. Having and spending time with close friends that I can trust is important to me. | SA | A | D |
| 10. The well-being of my family (spouse, children, parents, other relatives) comes before anything else in life. | SA | A | D |
| 11. I want a life in which I can always be learning new ideas and skills. | SA | A | D |
| 12. I would enjoy a new job or returning to employment in something besides farming. | SA | A | D |
| 13. My relationship with my wife/husband is very important to me and I would do almost anything to keep our love strong. | SA | A | D |
| 14. I hope one of my children wants to farm and that the farm remains in the family always. | SA | A | D |
| 15. Faith is the backbone of the family and religious activities are a very high priority. | SA | A | D |
| 16. The environment is one of my big concerns and keeping the air, soil, and water clean guides my farming decisions. | SA | A | D |
| 17. It is important to me to have a nice home and set aside time and money for home improvements. | SA | A | D |
| 18. I want to stay up to date on the business of farming and make reading and learning a priority. | SA | A | D |
