Self-Assessment
Write down a goal.
- If you want to achieve a goal in six months, is it short-term or long-term?
- Once you set your goal, what do you write to make sure you achieve it?
- List three steps you can take to increase your chances of achieving your goals
Give yourself one point if:
- Your goal is specific.
- Your goal is measurable.
- Your goal is achievable.
- Your goal is relevant.
- You have a timetable (such as, by this time I will...).
- Your answer for question one is short-term.
- Your answer for question two is action plan.
- Your answer for question three is tell others about it.
- Your answer for question three is write down your goal.
- Your answer for question three is identify the "why" behind your goal.
Scoring
8-10 points: Advanced
4-7 points: Proficient
1-3 points: Developing
Content
TED Talk, Why set life goals and achieve them
Summary
- Short-term and long-term: Short-term goals are goals that you want to achieve within the next 12 months. Long-term goals are goals that take longer to achieve.
- SMART goals: All goals should be written in the SMART format to avoid being vague:
- S: Specific (I will run this specific marathon)
- M: Measureable (I will run it in this amount of time)
- A: Achievable (I know this is feasible for me)
- R: Relevant (This is relevant for my lifestyle)
- T: Timetable (I will do it by this date)
- Plan for action: Break your goal down into objectives so that you know how you will achieve it. In the SMART goal above, create a running plan, so you know how often you are training. For instance, you will run 3 miles a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and increase that distance by a mile per week.
- Increase your chances of achieving goals: Use known strategies of achieving your goal, such as writing down your goal, telling others about it, and writing it down.
- Aligning your goal with organization goals: If this is a career goal, you’ll want to make sure that it aligns with department and organization goals.
Plan for Application
Given what you’ve learned, consider the following questions:
- What is your goal, in SMART format?
- Is it a short-term goal, or a long-term goal?
- What is your plan for action?
- How will you increase your chances for achieving your goal?
- How does it align with organization or department goals?
Action Items
- Reflect on the “why” behind your goal in order to decide that you have identified the correct goal.
- Refine your goal to ensure that it meets the SMART criteria.
- Refine your plan for action to ensure that it will help you meet your goal.
- Review the strategies you have identified for maximizing your chances for achieving your goal, and make any necessary changes.