Goal Setting

Goal setting affects motivation and achievement through 5 mechanisms: 

1. Focus: setting goals clarifies what is to be done and focuses your attention and effort toward goal-relevant activities and away from goal‑irrelevant activities. 

2. Effort: setting goals motivates you to exert effort. Specific and challenging goals in particular increase effort, compared to vague and easy goals. 

3. Persistence: setting goals motivates you to persist with a task for longer, perhaps because goals make success more accessible. 

4. Strategy seeking: setting goals affects achievement because it leads you to seek strategies that will help you attain your goals. Are there strategies that you have used for other goals that you think would help with your new goal? If it is a new type of goal for you or if you think you need new strategies, seek them out. 

5. Self-efficacy: attaining goals also affects motivation and further achievement because it increases your sense of self-efficacy (self-belief). 

https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/about-us/educational-data/cese/2021-growth-goal-setting-practical-guide.pdf

If you have chosen a characteristic as an Ideal Self Goal, eg. Culturally aware or Entrepreneurial, how can you learn more about it and identify practical strategies to develop this characteristic? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Online Resources:

• Websites like TED Talks, Psychology Today, and Greater Good Magazine offer articles, videos, and resources on personal development, emotional intelligence, and character building. Try an internet search like "Best Ted Talks on Critical Thinking".

• The American Psychological Association: provides information and exercises on topics like resilience, gratitude, and mindfulness. Click here to see all topics.

• The Mindful website offers guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to cultivate self-awareness and compassion.  

2. Books and Audiobooks:

• SHHS Library has a list of printed books that support self-development and positive psychology: click here to see the list and come into the library to borrow the books.

• SHHS Library has eBooks and audiobooks that will inspire and inform readers, nearly 400 non-fiction titles that can be borrowed at any time and wherever you have access to a laptop, mobile phone or tablet. Click here to see the list

3. Peer Support and Mentoring Programs:

• Peer support groups or mentoring programs within schools or communities can provide valuable support and encouragement for personal growth and character development.

• Connecting with peers who share similar goals and aspirations can offer a sense of shared purpose and accountability in the journey of self-improvement.

Be Realistic in Goal-Setting:

• Set achievable goals, especially during challenging times.

• Adjust goals when necessary to keep them realistic and attainable.

Focus on Goals Within Your Control:

• Avoid setting goals dependent on external factors or others' performance.

• Strive to be the best version of yourself and avoid comparing yourself to others.

Be Kind to Yourself:

• Cultivate a habit of gratitude and happiness by acknowledging your achievements.

• Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't achieve a goal, instead, embrace the opportunity to reflect on how you can improve and make the goal more achievable.

Build a Supportive Team:

• Surround yourself with friends, teachers, or family members who can support your goals.

• Share your goals with them and let them cheer you on, and suggest ways they can help.

Set Process Goals:

• Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable process goals.

• Apply strategic thinking by setting specific actions that contribute to your larger objectives during study periods or tasks.

Do You Find Organisation and Task Completion Difficult?

• The term "Executive Functioning" is an umbrella term for skills like organisation, prioritisation, planning, procrastination and task completion, plus more. Students who are gifted, Autistic, ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence are more likely to find executive functioning skills challenging. For these people choosing goals and working towards them can be challenging. If this sounds like you, at some point in time have a look at our Executive Functioning page to better understand this and possibly learn some new strategies that might help. 

Dilemma: “I am an extremely busy person. I have lots of afternoon activities plus weekend commitments. What can I do to avoid staying up late to get my homework and assessments done?

Answer: Staying up late is not great for your mind or body. 

1. Use a Year Planner (calendar) to keep track of when you have extra busy times with after-school commitments, assessment tasks, and social commitments like birthdays. A year planner can help you spot the quieter times when you can get ahead or times when you need to reduce optional commitments to keep up with important demands on your time.

2. Regularly using a Weekly Planner will give you a tool to plan your time and activities. Edit and update it regularly; you might have a regular plan, but create variations when you need to for special weeks. 

3. Consider using a Must-Do, Should-Do & Could-Do organiser. Within a block of time when you are doing homework/study/assessments, break down your tasks into categories progressing from the must-do activities that have to get done; then the activities you should-do, and then more optional activities that you could-do if you have time. Factors that can help you decide whether a task is a must, should or could include considering:

   • the due date for the work 

   • the importance of the task -make sure you start assessment tasks well before the due date

   • the difficulty of the task

   • the length of time needed to complete the task, and any other considerations you think are important. 

You can't realistically put everything in Must-Do. Trying to do this can set you up for negative self-judgement if you regularly do not complete all of your goals. So be realistic, and also celebrate your victories. 

The problem may come when you cannot do all of your school and outside of school activities even if you are very organised. If this is regularly the case, you need to work out your priorities and reduce the less important commitments. This can be something like “Ideal Self Goal Setting” to help you see the bigger picture of what your long-term goals are so you can more easily work out your priorities.