Whether you seek to navigate the challenges of high school or the complex decisions that you face upon graduation, you may find that goal setting can help you move forward with greater clarity and decision. Goal setting does not have to be a complex process. Instead, you can set simple, concrete and quantifiable goals that can help to give you a handy roadmap for your future.
Select Goals Wisely
Choose goals that reflect your values and principles and that encourage you to stretch and to grow as a person. Jack Canfield and Kent Healy, in "The Success Principles for Teens: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You To Be," encourage choosing goals that make you a little uncomfortable. They explain that the purpose of goal-setting is not so much achieving a desired result as it is developing character and discovering who you are and who you can be.
Set Specific Goals
Develop specific, measurable goals that allow you to evaluate your success. Roger Cross, in "Lifecoach Your Teens: Five Principles to help Your Kids Thrive," explains that specific, measurable goals help you to know how you are progressing and when a goal has been met. For example, instead of choosing a vague goal, such as "I'd like to improve my grades," adopt a concrete one, such as "I want to raise my GPA from 3.25 to 3.75."
Specify Action Steps
Delineate specific steps to meet your goals based on your abilities and your resources. Tackling smaller, intermediate goals first will help you to meet larger goals. For example, if you have a larger goal to become a starting center on the varsity basketball team, then one of your smaller, intermediate goals may be to increase your vertical leap to 40 inches. Cross explains that reaching larger goals requires consistent investment in smaller action steps.
Identify Goal Timelines
Decide on specific timelines for accomplishing your goals and be as specific as possible. For example, if you want to make more friends who share your interests, you may set a goal, such as "Join two clubs or organizations in areas of interests by September 25 of this school year." Canfield and Healy explain that giving yourself a deadline will help not only to motivate you toward meeting your goal but also to keep you on task along the way.
Keep Goals Accessible
Post your goals over your desk or carry them in your pocket to keep them accessible for easy review and inspiration. Canfield and Healy explain that the busyness of everyday life can distract your attention from long-term goals. They recommend keeping goals fresh in your mind by writing them on index cards, jotting them down in a notebook or desk calendar, or saving them in a note on your computer or other electronic device.
Pursue Goals Flexibly
Practice flexibility with your goals to allow for interruptions and detours. For example, an unexpected expense may require that you push back your plans for purchasing your first car by a few months or even a year, and a broken bone may necessitate putting off trying out for the volleyball team until the next season. Cross explains that remaining flexible allows you to adjust your plans and move in another direction if something interferes with your current goals.
Revisit Goals Frequently
Take time on a regular basis to review your goals and to make any needed additions or revisions. For example, you may read them aloud to yourself or you may go over them with a trusted mentor or friend. Revisiting your goals every day or every week will help you to keep your goals fresh in your mind. Canfield and Healy explain that reviewing your goals helps you to move closer to meeting them by reactivating your enthusiasm and creativity.
References
- "Lifecoach Your Teens: Five Principles to Help Your Kids Thrive"; Roger Cross' 2006
- "The Success Principles for Teens: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be"; Jack Canfield, Kent Healy; 2008
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