What should be a Muslim's long term goals in this world?

Answer

Long term goals are described in the Hadith as toolul amal (long, distant, futile and baseless hopes which divert man from the purpose of life). A Muslim has no long term worldly goals. We live from hand to mouth. What the morrow holds, no one knows. Our concern at all times should be to prepare ourselves for the Hereafter. Everything pertaining to this world will fall in its place as ordained by Allah Ta'ala.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that the most intelligent person is the one who makes preparation for the sojourn beyond Maut. Nabi-e-Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also said: "When you find yourself in the morning, don't concern yourself with the evening. And, when you find yourself in the evening, don't concern yourself with the morning."

Toolul Amal removes the focus from the Aakhirah which is the Muslim's objective, and for which Allah Ta'ala has created us and sent us to earth for an extremely short stay. According to the Hadith, if in the morning when you wake up you find your Imaan intact; your health sound and food for the day, then you are like the king of the world. Don't worry about the morrow. The Being Who has cared for you yesterday and today, will care for you tomorrow. Everything has been ordained. We are required to only move our limbs as instructed by Allah Ta'ala.