Goal Statement – 5 Steps
Approach
Hello readers,
My first post the other day was about Learning
Styles. As for today, I am going to share with you what Goal Setting is. If you
don’t have any idea about it, let’s dive into this article and enjoy!
What Are Goals
Goals are things that we want to achieve, things we
aim for as we pursue a certain course of action. In other words they are the
results that we plan to achieve after putting our effort into them whether it
is our study, job, task and so on.
The point is, goals are very important in college
life as they help us motivate ourselves to achieve what we want the most,
courage us to attend for classes early in the morning and do the tasks or
assignments whole heartedly and follow the due date. How more important GOALS
could be?!
Some of us may have our own goals for every
semester. I know I do :D But the question is are we only dreaming about our
goal or taking action right away in order to make it comes true?
Characteristics
of Goals
To make our goals useful and motivating, they must have some special characteristics!
1. Self – Chosen
Goals
that are determined by people around us (teachers, parents, or friends) may not
work all time. It has to come from the deepest of our heart. We, ourselves need
to
-
Determine or choose or set our own
goals.
-
Decide what we want to accomplish.
-
Motivate ourselves to achieve them.
1. Moderately Challenging
The
reason why the goals we set should be moderately challenging to avoid us
feeling stressed or guilty or failed when we could not make it. And it is also
to consider what we have done in the past.
Some
of us probably cannot afford harsh things or surrounding that could make them
depressed. So, by making our goals moderately challenging can avoid that
situation as we know making your goals come true is not easy. It is full of
thorns!
1. Realistic
Our
goals should be realistic as well. Think whether our goals that we set are
attainable or not. Example, setting our goal to get B in English test is not
realistic when we are excellent in it. That does not make sense, right?
That
is how we keep our goals realistic and attainable at the same time.
1. Measureable
Measurable
goals mean when we can determine our ability to achieve them. When we set “I want
to do well in this semester”, how “well” is it? What does “well” means to us? How
far the “well” can bring us?
It
is hard to determine and measure it, right? Well can bring different meanings
to different people.
Planning
to read 12 pages of History text book every day is a good measurable plan.
1. Specific
Example
of good specific goals is to get B+ in your Calculus test while to get a good
great is not.
The
more specific the goals are, the more motivated we will be to achieve it.
1. Finite
Goals
need to have their limited time frame or deadline. Just like we need to set a
specific time to start study, we also need a specific time to achieve our
goals.
This
characteristic is important as we might put off starting, working on and
completing our set goals.
1. Positive
Negative
goal statement basically gives us pressure and makes us feel we cannot really
be successful. They are not motivating us.
Negative
goals statement, e.g. :-
-
“I don’t want to eat until I finish this
assignment!”
-
“I won’t go to sleep before I memorize
this chemistry notes!”
-
“I’m not going to fail this test!”
Remember,
if you always have positive mind and positive goals, you will do better!
Plus,
avoid using words like try, think, hope and should when we
describe our goals because by using these words we might feel discouraged after
half way to complete the goals.
Long – Term Goals vs.
Short – Term Goals
Two Types of Goals
5 Steps Approach
This is a way on how we can state our goals in systematically. Here are the steps examples that we need to follow (Course e.g.: Biology)
Step 1:- Tentative Goal Statement
I want at least a B in Biology
1.
I
need to read a lot of things and it takes time. I usually put it off
2.
It
is very hard to follow the online lecture classes
3.
I
cannot determine which one is the key points or important thing to memorize
Step 3:- List of Resources
1.
I
will set up a schedule to read 10 pages daily
2.
I
will read the chapter briefly before the lecture class
3.
I
will ask my lecturer or my friends to help me with the important points and
memorizing.
Step 4:- Revised Goal Statement
Step 5:- Polished Goal Statement
I will achieve a B in Biology this semester
So,
that is all the information I’ve got to share with you guys today. I am sure
they are very useful for us especially students.
p/s: All of the information above are based on my study skill textbook provided by my lecturer for study skill (UED102) course. All of the images or pictures are just my creativity. I do not own any of them.
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