Introduction to Goal Setting For Students
Top-level athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives you long term vision and short term motivation. It focuses on acquisition of knowledge, and help you to organise your time and resources so that you can make the most out of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals;
The Problem with Goal Setting
One of the most common reasons goals create friction for students is that they are often binary. This means that there is no room for flexibility, you either achieved the goal or you didn’t. MTO goal setting method involves setting three sets of goals to build momentum.
The three goals can be defined as follows:
Minimum
The minimum which you can be counted on to achieve
Target
What can you realistically achieve given current circumstances )
Outrageous
As the name suggests, your most outrageous goal, importantly you must make sure it is still achievable.
For example, if your last maths grade was a C- your goals might be as follows:
- Minimum – C
- Target – B-
- Outrageous – B+
SMART Goal Setting
When setting your goals it is important to make sure you’re setting them correctly. Whilst MTO method is a powerful tool, you don’t want to be setting the wrong goals. SMART is another framework for goal setting that helps you determine whether the goal is framed correctly.
S
M
A
R
T
Simple
Don’t let them become too complicated
Measurable
They must be measurable (e.g. do 2 hours of study each day this week)
Actionable
The goal must be under your control, don’t make them contingent on others
Realistic
The goal must be realistic (see MTO method above)
Time Sensitive
There must be a time limit to the goal
Leading Indicators
It is important to not only set goals for overall results but also leading indicators are the measurements that lead to results, examples include:
- How many hours spent doing homework?
- How many subjects did you summarise?
- Number of ASWC keys completed?
Remember if you haven’t done 10 hours of homework per week don’t assume you will do it straight out of the blocks. It is important to build strong habits over time. Keep your goals nearby and in open view for the best impact.
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