GOAL SETTING
Goal Setting defined:
· A goal is defined as the aim or object of something you are trying to obtain' (Locke & Latham, 1985).
· Goal setting is defined as 'a cognitive theory of motivation which effectively energizes an individual to becoming more productive' (Locke & Latham, 1990)
How does Goal Setting work:
· directs the attention of students, causing them to focus upon the task
· mobilizes effort
· increases long term persistence
· promotes the development of new learning strategies (Locke et al, 1981)
Applications of Goal Setting (Locke & Lathan, 1985)
· Goal setting will be most effective when there is feedback showing progress/measures in relation to the goal.
· The higher the degree of commitment & more meaningful the goal, the better the performance.
· Goal achievement will be facilitated by a realistic plan of action or strategy.
· Specific goals will regulate action more precisely than general goals.
· The more advanced the goal the better the performance.
· Specific-difficult goals will lead to better performance than 'do-you-best' or no goals.
· Using short-term goals plus long-term goals will lead to better performance than using long-term goals alone.
· S pecific
· M easurable
· A ction Plan
· R ealistic
· T imely
Goal Setting Process
1. Choose your GOAL
2. WRITE it down using the Principles of Goal Setting
3. Examine OBSTACLES and available SUPPORT
4. Review PROGRESS
Source for all information on goal setting is:
http://jp.epsb.net/staff_info/instruc_focus.htm
If It's Going to Be, It's Up to Me:
Taking Responsibility for Choices in Our Lives
by Jim Clemmer
A 38 year-old man was at
his parents' home for Sunday dinner. He mournfully turned the discussion to his
many problems; "I've just left my third failed marriage, I can't hold onto a
job, I'm in debt up to my ears and will have to declare personal bankruptcy" he
whimpered. "Where did you go wrong?"
When things go wrong, it's easy to
blame others. Blaming others for our difficulties is the easy way out. That's
why it's so popular. Turn on any daytime talk show and you'll find endless
examples of people blaming everybody and everything for the way their lives have
turned out.
But the happiest and most
successful people - the leaders who get things done and get on with their lives
-- know that life is an endless series of choices, and take responsibility for
these choices as well as the consequences of their actions. Leaders choose to
control their destiny so fate and others don't. They believe that choice more
than chance determines their circumstances. Even in circumstances for which
they're not responsible, they still take responsibility for their actions.
Leaders recognize
that they have control and choice over a number of key factors:
Choose Not to
Lose - Whether we choose to
focus on our problems or our possibilities is a key leadership issue. When we are faced with obstacles and failure, those who can overcome
adversity and learn from their experiences, turning them into opportunities, are
the ones who will be truly successful.
Perceived
Reality - Most so-called
"facts" are open to interpretation and are highly dependent upon what's being
read into them. We don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are. Too often,
we let our problems trap us deep inside our own "reality rut". As long as we're
stuck there, we can't see out of the rut to the possibilities beyond.
Choosing Our
Outlook - An optimist expects
the best possible outcome and dwells on the most hopeful aspects of a situation.
Pessimists stress the negative and take the gloomiest possible view. And while
we may have been given a tendency toward optimism or pessimism at birth or from
our upbringing, we decide what we want to be from today forward.
Choosing To Let Go
of Deadly Emotions - Another
milestone in our growth is when we accept responsibility for our emotions. It's
less painful to believe that anger, jealousy, or bitterness are somebody else's
fault or beyond our control. But that makes us prisoners of our emotions. We
stew in our deadly emotions. For our own health and happiness, we must exercise
our choice to let go. No matter how long we nurse a grudge, it won't get better.
We need to truly forgive and forget. Forgiveness is not for the other guy, it is
for ourselves.
Choosing Our
Thoughts - In his 19th century
Journals, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Life consists of what a man is
thinking of all day." If we continue to think like we've always thought,
we'll continue to get what we've always got. Our daily thought choices translate
into our daily actions. Our actions accumulate to form our habits. Our habits
form our character. Our character attracts our circumstances. Our circumstances
determine our future… Taking responsibility for our choices starts with choosing
our thoughts.
Leaders realize
that life accumulates; the
choices we make - good and bad - are like deposits in a bank account. Over the
years we can build up a wealth of success and happiness or a deficit of despair
and discouragement. It's up to us. As with any active bank account, few of these
choice accumulations are permanent. However, the longer we allow poor choices to
accumulate, the more time and effort will be needed to shift that balance. Now
is the time for action.
There's
still time. If not now, when?
Have you ever said to
yourself, "I need to study more" or "I wish I had more time to get into a
work-out routine?" How about actually accomplishing these things? Not much luck,
huh? Why do we fail at achieving our goals more often than we succeed? A big
part of it has to do with effective planning. In order to accomplish a goal you
have to be deliberate in setting goals and making progress toward goal
achievement, using your time effectively.This three-step process can help you
accomplish this:
Create a
Vision
Before you know what you need to accomplish in any given day, you need to have a clear understanding your overall vision. Steven Covey, in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls it your Personal Mission Statement. You must define why you are here…why are you in school…what do you hope to accomplish in your life…what is really important to you.
When creating your personal vision, be ambitious and be specific. Think about what you really want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to create a vision like ‘become self-employed within 5 years of graduating from college.’ By setting lofty visions you increase your expectations of yourself and your actions will likely follow.
By reflecting on these questions you begin to form a clear picture of where you need to be focusing your daily efforts. Sit down and really think about these questions. Write out your answers so you can refer to them routinely (the front of your calendar is a great location for your personal vision). Once you have defined this vision, you can use it as a measuring stick for each of your daily activities. Are you spending your time on things that are crucial to your personal vision, crucial to what is truly important to you?
"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The
question is what are we busy about?"
– Henry
David Thoreau
Set
Concrete Goals
Once you know what is important to you, you need to set concrete goals. Goals take your personal vision and transform it into achievable tasks. The crucial first step in goal setting is making sure that you have set an effective goal. This means making sure your goals are SMART. The SMART model allows you to take a goal like ‘study more’ and make it something that you can actually work to achieve.
Specific
Be clear as to what exactly you want to accomplish. For example, change ‘study more’ to ‘study my chemistry and math materials.’
Measurable
Define a specific measurement so you will know when you have achieved what you set out to do. For example, expand on ‘study my chemistry and math materials’ to ‘study my chemistry and math materials at least 2 hours each weeknight.’
Action-Oriented
Make sure that the goal reflects you actually doing something. So, expand in the previous statement by saying, ‘review the previous day’s notes and complete all associated exercises for my chemistry and math materials, spending at least two hours each weeknight.’
Realistic
Make the goal challenging, yet realistic. For instance, if you know that on Wednesday nights you have a Student Government meeting that will routinely keep you from spending two hours on your homework, make sure you reflect this in your goal. For example, ‘review the previous day’s notes and complete all associated exercises for my chemistry and math materials, spending at least two hours each weeknight except Wednesday, when I will spend one hour after the Student Government meeting.’
Time and
Resource-Constrained
Define the timeframe for goal accomplishment and what resources you will need to accomplish the goal. For example, ‘accomplish this goal by the end of next month, using the library as my study location.’
Effective goals are also manageable goals. This means that a goal like ‘complete my term paper for my English class one week prior to the due date’ needs to broken down into smaller pieces. So for instance, this large goal is made up of the following smaller goal pieces:
· Meet with my professor by October 15th to finalize my term paper topic.
· Sp nd at least four hours per week working on my term paper between October 15th and November 15th.
· Complete the rough draft of the term paper by November 15th.
· Have study partner review rough draft by November 20th.
· Make revisions and turn first draft into the professor for comments by November 25th.
· Make final revisions and complete term paper by December 10th.
Develop a
Daily Plan
Armed with a personal vision and concrete goals, you are ready to tackle your day-to-day tasks. Most of us refer to the way we accomplish our daily tasks as time management. This is really a misleading term. It implies that you have the ability to control time, when in reality, time marches on at a steady pace regardless of what you do. What you really need to do is learn to manage yourself in the time that you have available to you. Below are some tips to make the most of your time.
· Spend the last 15 minutes of every night or the first 15 minutes of every morning reviewing what you need to accomplish. This small amount of time can save you hours later in the day, ensuring you have the necessary information, materials and plans in place to effectively go about your day. Reflect on your personal mission and goals, making sure you have considered these in planning your day.
· Review your to-do list daily. Make sure the things on your list are things that are important in accomplishing your goals. Watch that you don’t fill up your to-do list with things that help other people get ahead at the expense of accomplishing your goals.
· Know when you are ‘at your best.’ For some it’s first thing in the morning, for others it’s right before bed. Use this time to accomplish your most challenging tasks so you can focus your best energy on it.
· Make sure you set aside enough time to get done what needs to get done. Don’t sell yourself short. It’s better to block out fours hours to study for your math test and then find out you only need three than it is to have only set aside two hours and find you need four! Remember that learning is the key reason you are at school. Set aside enough time to make the most of your studies and make this time focused time.
· Use only one calendar and carry it with you routinely. At a minimum, your calendar should have sections for dates, notes, phone numbers/addresses, and homework assignments. There is no need to have a fancy leather-bound calendar. A plain old notebook with some calendar pages in it and divided sections will work just fine. Find one you are comfortable with.
· Color-coding your calendar can help you easily make sense of your day. For example, use red pen for personal activities, blue for your class schedule, and green for assignment due dates and tests.
· Avoid sticky-note overload! Transfer notes to yourself to one standard location, for instance in a specific section of your calendar.
· When clearing off your desk, go through the items only one time and DO something with them. For each item on your desk, decide if it can be thrown away, filed away, or if you need to act on it. If it needs to be acted upon, add it to your to-do list and/or calendar. This tip goes for clearing out your e-mail too! Don’t waste time re-reading e-mail two or three times!
· Define one specific place to keep track of your homework assignments and test dates for all your classes. This prevents you from flipping through each class’ notebook every night to see what you need to do for the next day.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Remember: A goal is a promise you make to yourself.
The Learner will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to apply in setting your goals and objectives. The instrument is not only applicable in a learning environment, but can also be applied in your personal life, at the office and in doing planning.
S -
Specific
It is important to
remember that a goal or an objective can not be too general in nature. A goal or
an objective must be to the point and the Learner has to have a specific outcome
he/she wants to achieve.
A goal set as: "I want to have a distinction this
year." is to vague. What are the specifics of this goal? Does the Learner want a
distinction in all his/her subjects or must the average of all his/her subjects
be above 80%?
A specific goal would be: "I want a distinction in Mathematics
this year" We all know exactly what the Learner wants to achieve at the end of
this year.
M -
Measurable
Any goal or
objective must be measurable. If the Learner can experience success in reaching
his/her goals it will lead to motivation and determination to do more or to do
better.
If we take the goal as stated earlier: "I want to have a distinction
in Mathematics this year." Yes, it is measurable in the aspect that he/she can
evaluate at the end of the year, but the Learner needs to state what is a
distinction. What is the goal of the Learner, 80%, 90% or 100%? If the Learner
aims to get 90%, it must be stated accordingly, because that will give him/her
the instrument of determining his/her success.
A -
Attainable
It is important
for the Learner to know his/her capabilities. Any goal or objective must be
within the reach of the Learner. He/she must be able to do what they set out for
themselves to reach. If it is not achievable by them, it will lead to negative
experiences and at the end lead to low self-esteem and a lack of motivation to
try again.
R -
Realistic
The measurable
parts of a goal or an objective, must NEVER be too easy or too difficult. If our
Learner is getting 45% for Mathematics currently, do you think it is realistic
for him/her to set the goal at 80%? It will be realistic if the Learner breaks
the goal up into objectives: "At the end of the first quarter, I want 50% in
Maths." and "At the end of the 2nd quarter, I want to have 60%" and so on.
Breaking the goal up gives the Learner more chances on reaching success and to
make adjustments, in due time to reach his/her goal at the end of the year.
T -
Time bound
Every goal or
objective must be linked to time. If there is no time bound to it, the Learner
has no deadlines. It is important to work according to deadlines, because it
makes it easier to measure and to determine success. Time must be measurable,
attainable and realistic.
ISMA-USA NEWSLETTER Vol.1, Issue 1 Spring 1999
Managing Time for Personal
Effectiveness: Achieving Goals With Less Stress
By Betty
Clark Carlson, Ed.D.
Professor in Special Education,
Chaminade
University of Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii
ISMA-USA member
As we begin the last year of the 90s, many of us have promised ourselves "this year I am going to stay on top of things and not fall behind like I always do, this year I am going to accomplish something, this year to "do better", with hoped for outcomes such as higher productivity, reduced stress levels, and more positive relationships with colleagues, coworkers, and family members. This is a good start; saying we're going to do better is the first important step - verbalizing intent is necessary for change to take place. However, saying we are going to change is only the beginning. Self-talk is not the same as action - and action is what is necessary to move from intent to implementation. Most of us do want to be more effective and efficient in our use of time. We want to be more organized, more accomplished, and feel better about how we manage time, one of our most precious resources. We want to move away from missed deadlines, late nights trying to finish things we have procrastinated about for months, lost opportunities, and strained relationships with people we care about. Instead, we want to move towards outcomes that are life enhancing and result in lowered stress: achievement of valued personal and professional goals, an improved self-image, and positive relationships with colleagues, family members, and friends. The good news is that acquiring time management skills and putting them into practice can be learned.
The following steps for effective time management can provide a guide for putting your intentions into action, lowering your stress, and helping you achieve your goals.
1. Identify your personal and work-related priorities.
This is a key step in the process. Think carefully about outcomes that are important to you. Write them down, being as specific as possible. Specify exactly what you want to accomplish and by when. If you have multiple priorities in the same area (personal or professional), try to select only one or two initially, or try to rank them as to importance. Trying to work on too many at the same time will increase, rather than lower, your stress level.
2. Translate your priorities into concrete goals, with component activities.
Break each goal into its component activities; identify what steps are needed to achieve the goal. Identify the requirements and resources you need related to each activity step. This helps you organize for success and have what you need to move forward towards goal attainment. Pinpointing resources is especially important if accomplishment of your goal requires the cooperation or assistance of other people.
3. Identify deadlines/intermediary time frames related to each activity step and goal attainment.
These could include deadlines for personal goals (sign up for an exercise class by March 1) or work-related goals such as report deadlines (gather needed data to complete quarterly report by March 30). Write these activities and their individual deadlines on your calendar; scheduling them gives you a direction and affirms your commitment to carry them through, step by step. If you need access to libraries, media/computing centers, or other resources, find out their availability before you need them. Plan time in your own schedule to access these resources in advance; don't wait until the day before a deadline occurs.
4. Consider your monthly calendar or planning notebook a timesaving device.
Keep it with you and use it to schedule important activities, due dates, deadlines, and appointments. Consistent use of your calendar will provide you with a visual reminder and help you keep track of your commitments. Periodically review your calendar to assess your progress in accomplishing the steps to your goals. Highlight important dates with a marker; this will keep them visible and can serve as a colorful reminder of your planned steps towards goal attainment.
5. Learn to say "No" to opportunities and requests that take your time and don't move you forward towards goal attainment.
To the extent feasible, saying "no" is an important safeguard of your time. Doing so with courtesy and conviction will make it easier to say "yes" at a later date and simultaneously affirm your commitment to yourself to follow through on your scheduled activities.
6. Identify your own barriers to effective use of time.
If you find you tend to procrastinate (join the human race!), overbook yourself, or "forget" to use a planner or calendar, do some thinking about why. Discovering the motivation for your resistance to time management may assist in understanding your behavior, or lack of it. Is the task to be done boring? Do you really want to do it? Do you feel "too controlled" by the use of a calendar or planner? Reflecting on your own thoughts and feelings about using time may help identify areas you may want to explore further, especially if you aren’t satisfied with your achievement of personal or professional goals.
7. Strive for a balance between "doing" and "being".
Remember to plan some "fun time" in your schedule. With better time management strategies, you can be more productive, experience improved relationships, and enjoy more "good times" with a minimum of anxiety and stress. Doing "more" is not the ultimate goal of effective time management. More is not necessarily better, and cramming your schedule full of "to do" items doesn’t necessarily lead to higher life satisfaction. Effective time management is a tool to assist you to achieve meaningful life outcomes, not merely "more" outcomes. Use the steps presented here as a guide to your own journey of meaningful accomplishment. Good luck!
HOW TO
SET SMART GOALS
GOAL…To
be fitter? What aspects of fitness do you want to improve? How will you know
when you reach your goal? What will motivate you to stick with your training?
Will you do the same routine in each session?
Remember
to be SMART when setting goals for yourself.
SPECIFIC:
Be as
specific as possible, stay away from general statements like, I want to ‘get
fitter’ or factors out of your control.
MEASURABLE: How
are you going to know if you are improving or even achieved your goal?
ADJUSTABLE: If
progress is slower/faster than expected you need to be able to adjust your
program
REALISTIC: Set
challenging goals, sufficiently above your present ability that you have to work
hard
TIME
ORIENTED: Set a
time frame that you want to achieve your goals by. Set short, medium and long
term goals.
EXAMPLE
OF A SMART GOAL:
LONG
TERM: By May
15th, I will have lowered my resting heart rate from 76 to 70
MID TERM: By April 1st, I will have completed twenty,
20 minute aerobic sessions. I will have improved my performance on the cycle
ergometer from 20 minutes at level 5, to 20 minutes at level 8.
SHORT TERM: In my first session, I will have completed
20 minutes aerobics on the cycle ergometer at level 5.
NOW
IT’S YOUR TURN!
Goal:_______________________________________________________
Short
term:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mid term:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Long
term:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________