Goal Writing
"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."
– Liane Cardes
Why Should I Write a Goal?
We all have dreams and aspirations, whether it's to play in the NFL, live to age 110, earn a bachelor's degree, or beat a personal record in the long jump. Sometimes, these dreams seem too far removed from the present, or the jump to reach them seems too wide, and we give up. Writing goals helps to give us small, achievable steps to take in order to ultimately reach those dreams.Goals help you stay focused.2 Having a goal to reach acts as a steering wheel, helping you channel your efforts in the right direction. Goals also help reduce procrastination. Tackling your dreams one step at a time through the use of goals makes the process seem less overwhelming. This makes it easier to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Goals also help you measure your progress over time. It's difficult to work on something for years without measurable ways to show we are on the right track. For example, can you imagine receiving all of your final grades at graduation, and not each semester? It would be incredibly stressful for a good four years before that day. The same is true with your personal aspirations. Making goals and meeting them is less stressful than going rouge because it organizes your existence and gives consistent feedback about your progress.2
What Do I Write a Goal About?
If you want to improve on something in your life, change a habit you currently have or achieve something, you can write a goal about it. Your goal could be related to athletic performance, finding a romantic partner, learning how to cook, keeping your house clean, taking care of your mental health, reducing stress, improving academic grades, dressing in a more stylish way, getting more followers on social media, improving your spirituality, eating healthier, expanding your vocabulary, and more. Goals are useful to help you grow as a person, and they can be written about literally anything you want to change, learn about, improve on, or achieve. You could have a goal to go to the Olympics. You could have a goal to learn how to make delectable crepes. It's really up to you!
Writing Goals
Using S.M.A.R.T. goals is a commonly recognized goal-writing method. A good goal will incorporate each of these components. S: Specific: provide detail about your goal such as who, what, when, where, how, etc.
M: Measurable: how will you evaluate whether or not you met your goal?
A: Attainable: make sure your goal is within your abilities
R: Relevant: how does your goal align with the dream/aspiration you have?
T: Time-based: give yourself an end-date.1
Examples:
- In order to pay for my preferred lifestyle, I will obtain a job as an electrical engineer within three months after graduating with my Bachelor of Engineering.
- In order to become a better cook, I will make delicious strawberry crepes for myself within three weeks by attempting one different recipe each weekend.
- In order to develop improved cleaning habits, I will keep my apartment spotless for the next 4 weeks by cleaning the floors, kitchen, bedroom, and bathrooms 1 time each Thursday at 6:30 pm.
Types of Goals
There are process, performance, and outcome goals.1 The outcome goal is the overarching dream/aspiration. The performance goal is based on a personal standard, almost like a periodical self - progress check. The process goal outlines specific actions to be taken in order to ultimately perform.1 In short, the outcome is your aspiration, the process goal is the action it will take to get you there, and the performance goal is the periodical feedback that shows you that you are on the right path toward your aspirations. If you have a long-term goal, breaking it down into process, performance, and outcome goals will help you take the goal one step at a time.
Examples
o Outcome goal: I will graduate with a B.S. in Exercise Science by 2023.o Performance goal: I will achieve a 3.5 GPA spring semester of 2021
o Process goal: I will study at least 1 hour per class, per day, five days per week during the spring semester of 2021.
Process, performance, and outcome goals have a linear relationship. Process goals help you reach your performance goals. Achieving your performance goals help you meet your outcome goal.1
Goal Tips
- Start low and go slow: if you have never run further than 400 meters, do not write yourself a goal to run 1600 meters/day for the next 3 weeks. This is too much change all at once, it will be difficult to be successful, and you will most likely hurt yourself.- Don't give up on the goal if you have a hiccup: if your goal was to eat one new thing each week for 7 weeks, but you miss a week – don't worry about it! You are growing and changing, and any progress is not wasted. Keep working toward your aspirations.
- You can change your goals: If you write a goal to increase your bench press max by 10 lbs by the end of the season, but you find this goal is not attainable – change it to 5lbs. Or, if it's too easy, update it and make it more challenging.
- Keep yourself successful: the "just right challenge" is often used by occupational therapists as we work to help people be more successful in their daily tasks. This means the goal should be challenging, but not so challenging that you feel overwhelmed by it, or so tough that you are not meeting your goals. Being too hard on yourself can be discouraging over time and not productive – so be nice to yourself, and update your goals as needed.
- Write your goals down: Things seem more real when they are written down, and writing down your goals helps you remember them, especially if you have multiple. It is also easier to track your progress if your goals are written down.
- Celebrate your accomplishments: This one is essential. Find a healthy way to celebrate when you meet your goal criteria each day, and when you ultimately meet your goal at the end of the time frame you set. The daily celebrations may be small, like a self-high- five, a pat on your back, singing a sound effect, or saying "Good job, me." but these celebrations are very important, however small, because they help you stay motivated and excited about your goals by providing you with positive feedback. When you ultimately meet your goal, find a slightly bigger way to celebrate your success! Buy yourself a coffee, take a bath, go to dinner at your favorite restaurant, go for a hike, or treat yourself in some other healthy way, because you deserve it.
Worksheets
- SMART GOAL Template (PDF)
- Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF)
- Goal Setting Handout (PDF)
Video Tutorials
Goal Setting (Segment of the Procrastination, Motivation and Goal Setting Video)
A Complete Guide to Goal Setting
References
1. CALE Learning Enhancement. (2021). Goal-Setting. Eastern Washington University. Retrieved from: https://inside.ewu.edu/calelearning/psychological-skills/goal-setting/2. Personality Tutor. (2012). Importance of goal-setting. Retrieved from: http://www.personalitytutor.com/importance-of-goal-setting.html
Developed 2021 by Quinn DeStefano, OTD Student
Reviewed 2021 by Aaron Grusonik, MA, Psy.D
