|
Goal Setting
Setting goals is one of the first and most
important steps in effective time management. You should constant=
ly
be setting short term goals that will eventually lead to accomplishing =
your
long term goals. Having goals helps us with motivation, decision
making and setting priorities. Using the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting techniques is helpful in keeping yo=
ur
goals organized.
SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic =
and
Timely or Tangible.
Specific
Goals that are specific have a much greater
chance of success than more general. For example: study geography=
is
a general goal, a more specific goal would be, read pg. 87-90 in my
geography textbook by 9pm tonight, review class notes from
9:30-10:30pm. You want to define precisely the outcome you want.<=
/p>
Measurable
Goals are most effective when they are
measurable, and set up with specific time frames. If you are able=
to
measure progress then you are more likely to stay on track. To ma=
ke
sure your goal is measurable ask yourself such questions as “how
much?”, “how many?” and “How will I know it is
completed?”
Attainable
If you plan well and set up specific time f=
rames
most goals are attainable. You want to goal set so that you are
accountable for attaining the goal.
Realisti=
c
To attain your goal it has to be something that is realistic,
however achieving some goals is challenging and it is important to know=
before
if the goal you are setting is something that you can realistically
achieve. To be realistic the goal should also be relevant to you
personally. Students who do not want to be at university and are
achieving the goal for someone else are often times the ones that have =
the
most difficulty.
Timely
A goal needs to have a ti=
me
frame tied to it, someday is not good enough, set specific time frames =
to
make the goal attainable.
It is important to also re evaluate your go=
als as
life experiences influence them. It is also important to think ab=
out
how choices you make will affect your short and long term goals. =
For
example if your long term goal of going to university is to become a Te=
acher,
and you are making choices to not study and go out instead think about =
how
that choice will affect your short term goals (grades) and then how that
will impact your long term goals (getting into a Bachelor of Education
program).
Example of a SMART long-term goal: “I will graduate from Sa=
int
Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Hist=
ory
with a GPA of 3.0 by April 2012.”
|
![3D"http://www.smu.ca/commonresources/logo.gif"](3D"GoalSetting1_files/image001.gif")