Several Ways to Learn How to Set Goals

Articles on Learning | Topics: learning, learn, study, studying

by Kerry Adams

When you set goals, you do so by setting something that is unrealistic and nearly impossible to attain in the period you specify you are setting yourself up for failure. In this article, we will look at ways you can effectively set goals that you can attain and will not simply fade away because they were too difficult to accomplish.

When you begin writing your goals out, state them in a positive manner. Do not say, "My goal today is not to eat so much ice cream." Instead, say, "I will enjoy a small portion of my favorite ice cream twice a week." If you start your goals off with negative words, you set yourself up for failure.

Do not write your goals out in a vague way. If you say, "One day I want my finances to be better," one day will never come. Your statement is general and does not give you any framework to encourage getting your finances in order nor have you given yourself a timeframe wherein you monitor your progress. Be specific with dates and times. The advantage with this is that when you review where you are at with your goal and have not quite accomplished what you planned adjust the goal. You may have made it too difficult to start with.

Do you have more than one goal to accomplish? Do not lump it into one great big goal doing this will most certainly guarantee that you will not meet them. Instead, set priorities and break them down. What is the most important goal, which one needs to be accomplished first and what is the period it needs to be done by. Sometimes when you are working, you have several co-workers bringing you assignments all asking for them to be done now. Be realistic and find out when the exact date it is due by, not when they would like it due by. Then take your work and prioritize it. This will help you to accomplish all that you are required to without feeling overwhelmed.

Historical Quote

The child receives data through the sense organs; the child also has some inborn processing capacities—otherwise it would not be able to learn—but in addition, some “information” or “programs” are built-in at birth (for example, the child does not have to learn how to suck, for this is an innate reflex)Those who first introduced compulsory education into American life knew exactly why children should go to school and learn to read: to save their souls.... Consistent with this goal, the first book written and printed for children in America was titled Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in either England, drawn from the Breasts of both Testaments for their Souls’ Nourishment.

—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)

Always write your goals down. Yes, you probably have a great mind and can remember many things but it is common knowledge that those individuals who write their goals down will accomplish them more frequently than who do not. If you try to keep your goals in your mind, it is fair to say that you have not set specific dates and that your goals are generalized. This will not help you accomplish your desires. Think about this, when you are ready to purchase a house you do not say, "I want a house someday and I want it to be green." You sit down and decide the style, landscaping, neighborhood, and the price you are going to spend. You write down every step of that goal and you find exactly what you are looking for. Now, each goal does not have to be as detailed as buying a house but the same principal applies. Write your goals down and you will have better success at achieving them.

Keeping goals small and reasonable is very important. If you have a large goal, break it down into several sections and give each of those sections a time to be completed in so that you can see your progress. Set yourself up for achieving your goals not for failure.

When you set, your goals remember not to set them based on outcome. Very rarely can we control the outcome of any situation although we do have control over how we attain that goal. An example of this is if you do sports, you may have a goal that you will do your personal best, but your team may still lose the game. If you had set your goal up to be that you would win every game you play, then you have set yourself up to fail. However, if your goal is set up so that you are constantly improving your personal best then that goal is met and you see results. This in turn encourages teammates to do the same. Also, do not set your goals up to receive the rewards of others for your actions. This may feel nice the first couple of times but soon it will diminish and then you will have no desire to push yourself forward.

We strive to provide only the finest articles on our website. If there is a specific learning-related topic that you do not see but would like us to cover, please contact us here.

Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Several Ways to Learn How to Set Goals" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by SloanSemester.org.

School Fund Raiser
By Emily Orr
The state of education in the US is not as good as it use to be. Many schools suffer because of cut backs, and this means that some very important programs have to be cut....

Early Childhood Learning
By Corey Zimmerman
One aspect of human development that many parents overlook concerns their children during the toddler stage. Whether you believe it or not, your child is ready to begin learning at a very young age....

Acting Schools
By Guy Leonard
The world of stage and screen may look glamorous from the outside but actors have to put a lot of work in to even get a foot in the door. Drama has to be studied like any other discipline and acting schools have an important part to play....

Investing Money While In College
By Isabel Nielsen
Students Investing Money Investing money while in college many seem like an impossible venture. Most students are faced with formidable tuition costs and hefty student loans....

School Apparel
By Claudette Zimmerman
In recent years, school apparel has been a pretty casual thing. Basically, most communities in America nowadays seem to take it for granted that teenagers will wear what they want to....

Learn How To Draw
By Eugenia Buck
When we're children, we typically love to draw. This is our most basic form of communication....