Setting goals for yourself is an important way to push yourself to your full potential and to finally sit down and get stuff done. After reaching some goals, that sense of accomplishment can motivate you to keep setting and readjusting your goals to keep rolling along.
I never really set goals for myself except for some daily goals here and there. This year and with the start of a new semester, I made it my goal to… set goals for myself. There are a few things I am keeping in mind when setting these goals and hopefully they will help you out too.
REALISTIC
If your goals are unattainable and you are unable to attain them, it can really make you doubt yourself and your abilities. Be sure to set realistic and attainable goals one step at a time and with time and success, set bigger goals of things you want to accomplish.
CATEGORIZE
Create goals within different areas of your life like financial, education, health, or even within your attitude. This will keep you balanced and well rounded in all aspects of your life, and you might notice which areas need more attention or effort than others.
ATTITUDE
The way you approach your goals is all based on your attitude. Keep positive thoughts and power is yours. Doubt yourself or approach goals with a negative mindset and you may not achieve that goal or push yourself to your full potential.
TIME
Set short-term goals for the day, for the week, or for the month, and long-term goals such as yearly goals. Sometimes we get a little lazy and don’t really make the most of our days. By setting short-term goals, you are pushing yourself to make the most out of your days or weeks and getting stuff done!
WORK BACKWARDS
Think about what you want to achieve, and write that down. Now, write down all the steps, working backwards, that need to happen before you can get there. Want to run a marathon? First, you’ll need to set your training schedule; want to learn a new language? You’ll need to sign up for some classes or read some books, to make it happen.
VISUALIZE
Visualize where you want to be or how you want to feel after you achieve your goals. This will motivate you to achieve your goals, set new ones, and continue the cycle. Also, write down a list of your goals, for the day, month, or year somewhere you will see it and be reminded of everyday. For instance, write it on a little notepad and tape it to your bathroom window so that before your day starts, you are reminded of what you want to make happen.
Tired of the stereotype of the procrastinating, unmotivated student? Break that mould and look ahead, think students are that we procrastinate and rarely feel motivated to attain our goals and get stuff done.
Need a little help making it to your goal for 2015? We’ve got a contest just for that – you could win a $1000 Visa Gift Card just for telling us and RBC how that money would help you reach your goal or accomplish your New Year’s Resolution. Read more here, and submit your entry today!
