GOAL SETTING, MOTIVATION, & PRIORITIES

EIU 1111: University Foundations

“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk.”

J.C. Penney

WHERE WILL YOU BE 5 YEARS FROM NOW?

YOUR PLAN FOR WHERE YOU WANT TO BE 5 YEARS FROM NOW IS A “LONG-TERM GOAL”

On a piece of paper, complete the following sentence:

“Five years from now, I will be …”

CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTAINABLE GOALS

Specific

Written

Measurable

Action-Oriented (road map)

Realistic

Time-bound

Anticipates obstacles

Includes incentives

“A person without goals is like a sheep out in the pasture just living from day to day. You don’t want to be a sheep.”

--Dr. Boyce Watkins, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About College

ACHIEVING A LONG-TERM GOAL IS LIKE BUILDING A PYRAMID:

Long-term goal

Medium-range goals

Short-term goals

Short-term Goals

Medium-range Goals

Long-term

Goals

A few months/semester

1-2 years from now

5 years from now

ON A PIECE OF PAPER. . .

Write down 4 or 5 short-term goals that you have for this semester.

Make sure they are specific, measurable, and realistic.

ACTION PLAN

TNT Principle = Today Not Tomorrow

Daily/Weekly habits that will help you reach your short-term goals and contribute to your long-term goal

CREATE AN ACTION PLAN TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS

Once you meet your short-term goals, your mid-range

goals will follow each more easily.

Meet my

advisor

Find a tutor

Create a study schedule

Go to every class

Visit Prof’s office

Read text book weekly

Review notes weekly

KEEP REMINDING YOURSELF OF THE LONG TERM GOAL YOU ARE WORKING TOWARD

As the semester or the year ends, you will

replace short-term and mid-range goals with

new ones.

Meet my

advisor

Find a tutor

Create a study schedule

Go to every class

Visit Prof’s office

Read text book weekly

Review notes weekly

Apply for Summer internship

Choose minor

3.5 GPA by Fall 2010

30 Credits completed by May 2010

Bachelor’s Degree with 3.55 GPA

EACH GOAL YOU REACH, BUILDS TOWARDS THE NEXT…

Bachelor’s Degree w/ 3.55 GPA

Dream

Job

$90,000

Financial Independence

Dream house—3 bedrooms, big kitchen, deck and pool

Marriage & family

OBSTACLES AND ROADBLOCKS:

Take 2 minutes to write down 3 possible obstacles that might get in the way of achieving your 5-year goal.

How much control do you have over these issues?

What can you do to eliminate or avoid these obstacles?

WHAT ARE COMMON OBSTACLES THAT YOU MAY ENCOUNTER IN YOUR FIRST SEMESTER?

COMMON OBSTACLES

Not expecting mistakes

Blaming obstacles on your lack of abilities

Not changing your environment

Making unwise choices

Lack of persistence

Lack of commitment

Opposing desires (YOU in your own way)

Mental paralysis

MOTIVATING FACTORS

List the top 3 motivating factors in your life

INTRINSIC & EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Intrinsic motivation = comes from within

Extrinsic motivation = comes from external forces (but is connected to what you want intrinsically)

HOG: HUGE OUTRAGEOUS GOALS

Stretch your capabilities Don’t settle Take advantage of your best efforts Aim high—be ambitious

A FEW HINTS TO HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK WITH YOUR GOALS:

Remind yourself of your goals – allow yourself to dream about them.

Write them down and put where you will see them every day.

Change your short-term goals if they are not working for you.

Be realistic, but aim higher than you think you can achieve – you will usually surprise yourself.

Make sure you understand the price of reaching your goals. Recognize obstacles and avoid or eliminate them.

“The path to greatness is usually paved with failure. That means that most big successes come after you have tried over and over again and failed.”

--Dr. Boyce Watkins

Belief System Values Motivation Goals

POWERFUL HABITS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS: Get up at the same time every

morning Establish a regular schedule for

yourself Use a to-do list or appointment

calendar to keep track of assignments and appointments (cell phone alarms)

Spend at least 25-30 hours a week on schoolwork outside of class

Study in small bits of time (not study marathons)

Get most of your studying done before 6:00 p.m.

GOOD HABITS CONT.

Find a study partner and form study groups

Stop in the professor’s office during office hours

Take a study skills class/workshopKeep up with reading assignmentsMeet with the instructor after the first

exam to learn from your mistakes.

REFERENCES

Adapted from a presentation by Pat Scheib, shared on the FYE listserv

Boyce Watkins, Black Voices, bvblackspin.com/2009/08/25/black-college-student-goal-setting/

Piscitelli, Choices