SETTING YOUR GOALS • Goals help to structure your application to any task. To be

successful, individuals need to set short-term and long term goals.

• Although long-term goals are the most meaningful and important, achievement of these goals is usually far into the future. The result is problems staying focused and maintaining positive attitude.

• Solution – set up short-term goals to help you achieve your long-term goal.

• Barriers to Goal-Setting

• 1. Uncertain of what you want. You won’t be able to set a goal if you are not sure of what you want. part of knowing what you want is knowing what to do in order to get what you want.

• 2. Lack of focus. When you are unable to focus, you might tend to do some things that could hinder your ability to reach your goals.

• 3. Fear of commitment. You might want something to happen, but you are afraid you might not be able to do the things needed in order to get what you had been aiming for.

• 4. Having inappropriate expectations. You have to make sure that the goal you will set are achievable.

• 5. Cannot visualize the results. Have a clear vision so you will know if you are taking the right road towards your destination or not.

• 6. Fear of Failure. Some people fear failure. If you fail, at something, evaluate the reasons you were unsuccessful

• 7.Procrastination. If you tend to procrastinate, you are breaking the time frame that you need in order to attain your goals. There is also a possibility that your goals will be delayed or you might even get tired and not try to reach it anymore.

• 8. Lack of confidence. When individuals do not believe in themselves, they will not be able to do things well. Some people lack self-confidence and are afraid to take the first step thinking that they do not have the ability to do it or the ability to finish all the steps in order to get to the finish line.

• 9. In-activeness. Smart goal setting involves being active and dynamic. You have to act like you already got what you want. Be determined and show that by doing something.

• 10. Improper time-setting. If you are not realistic in setting your time and deadlines, then you will also find it impossible to reach a goal.

DEFINING YOUR GOALS

• 1. What are your life time goals?

2.What are your goals for this upcoming academic year?

3. What are the things you need to do?

4. List the things you will do his week and the things you will do today that relate to your goals for the year. (You now have a “to do” list).

FREE WRITING

Has this ever happened to you? You choose an idea or topic to develop, then find yourself stuck. Well, free writing can help you gather your thoughts and ideas.

Free writing is a process that requires you to write for a set period of time (start with ten minutes). The idea is to write without stopping, censoring, looking back, crossing out, correcting your spelling, using punctuation, or thinking about what to say.

Free Writing An example: I think I'll write what's on my mind, but the only thing on my mind right now is what to write for ten minutes I never done this before and I'm not prepared in any way--the sky is cloudy today, how's that? now I'm afraid I won't be able to think of what to write when I get to the end of the sentence--well, here I am at the end of the sentence--here I am again, again, again, again, at least I'm still writing--Now I ask is there some reason to be happy that I'm still writing I can’t think of anything to say I cant think of anything to say Here comes the question again--What am I getting out of this? What point is there in it? It's almost obscene to always ask it but I seem to question everything that way and I was gonna say something else pertaining to that but I got so busy writing down the first part that I forgot what I was leading into. This is kind of fun oh don't stop writing--cars and trucks speeding by somewhere out the window, pens clittering across peoples' papers. The sky is still cloudy--is it symbolic that I should be mentioning it? Huh? I dunno. Maybe I should try colors, blue, red, dirty words--wait a minute--no can't do that, orange, yellow, arm tired, green pink violet magenta lavender red brown black green--now I can't think of any more colors--just about done--relief? maybe.

Why Free Writing Works• It stops the editing while producing cycle. • It makes you more comfortable with the act of writing.• It helps you bypass the “inner critic” who tells you that you

cannot write. • It can indirectly improve your formal writing.• It can help you discover things to write about. • It can be a valve to release inner tensions.• It can be fun.

Free writing exercisePick from the following list and write – do not think about it put your pencil on the paper and keep writing for 10 minutes.

1. The most difficult subject you anticipate this year2. The incident at St. Mary’s showing student politicians leading a chant about underage, non-consensual sex during an orientation week event.3. Should the US military respond to the alleged chemical attacks outside Syria last month killing 100,00 and having another 1 million fleeing their homes.4. Public employees would be banned from wearing overt religious symbols at work under the proposed Charter of Quebec values.