As a senior at Brockport, with one semester to go, I realized that to start accomplishing anything I needed to simply make goals. So I started with something simple, finding a final internship. After a few weeks I was getting no where, so I started looking to goals. I wanted to know what I needed to do to make mine work. Turns out it's simple - when reaching for the stars you need concrete time lines, written down goals, and you have to be realistic. Like most things, you have to start small, and build up to your big goal, and it certainly will not come quickly.
A goal can be key to accomplishing almost anything. Let's start with why some goals just won't work. According to , 75 percent of people who make a resolution fail on their first attempt and most people, 67 percent, make more than one resolution. WHY? First, New Year's Resolutions are often caused by a negative response to something. This means that something bad happened, and they feel like they need to correct it. Second, New Year's Resolutions are often too broad. To reach for a goal you need to have something concrete and specific. And finally, there is typically a lack of true motivation behind New Year's Resolutions. To really accomplish a goal a person has to be willing to try.
What should goals really do? A goal is an effective tool when you need to focus your direction, get the maximum use of your time, achieve the best results possible, and it can also boost your self-esteem and confidence. Keep in mind that a goal shouldn’t be a mashed together effort, but it should be specific to each thing you are interested in accomplishing.
If you are interested in making a goal work for you then I suggest you use something called a SMART goal. This is a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goal. Having these five components be a part of your goal will ensure that you are effective when working through your goal. So, let’s start with the “S.” A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished versus a goal that embodies too many objectives. To reach one specific goal try asking yourself the six W questions: Who, what, where, when which, and why.
Now we will move on to measurable. This represents how much you will accomplish during your goal. When you are working with the M word you want to measure your progress to ensure you stay on track. This means reaching your target dates and tracking your experience. For example, if you were doing an internship search I suggest having certain dates like, “I will contact Company X by this date,” as well as saying, “I will contact X amount of companies.” Along with the measurable aspect, you need to have an attainable goal.
Having a goal that is something along the lines of owning a $10 million home goal is not attainable right now. Something more attainable is finding an internship for the spring semester. Goals are attainable if you can plan steps to get there and establish a time frame. But even if you set a goal like owning a $10 million home it may become reachable as you grow and expand to match your goals. It all depends on YOU.
Next you need a goal that will be realistic. You want to have a goal that you are both willing and able to work towards. A goal can be high and realistic; for example if you were looking for a paid internship you might consider this high, but as long as you decide to work towards the goal you are more likely to accomplish this. The more you believe in your goal, the more realistic it will be. And finally a goal must be timely.
And finally, goals should be grounded with a time frame therefore you will know that you are working towards something. Think about it like a “due date.” If you are lacking that finality then there is no sense of importance.
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