Whether you’re trying to accomplish your greatest dream or just get off the couch, this module will help you to set and achieve your goals.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” -- Zig Ziglar
Watch this video for an introduction to this module.
We recommend that you move through this module in the following order:
Unclear goals can be difficult to achieve since you can’t always tell how to accomplish them. SMART goals take away this confusion.
SMART goals are:
For example:
Unclear goal: Work out more.
SMART goal: Run 3 kilometres on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week to improve my mood, energy, and cardiovascular health.
Watch this video to learn how to set and achieve long-term goals.
Long-term goals are goals that take a long time to accomplish -- perhaps several years, or even decades. Examples of long-term goals are things like becoming a carpenter, learning French, or starting a family.
These goals can be intimidating, so it can help to break them down into a series of short-term goals. This can make challenging long-term goals seem more do-able.
For help with setting goals, complete the activity below or fill in the My Goals Map Fillable PDF - opens in a new window.
Watch this video for help with setting and achieving short-term goals.
Short-term goals are things that you can accomplish in the near future -- maybe in the next year, month, week, day, or hour.
These goals can help you achieve your long-term goals, working as stepping stones to bigger accomplishments.
Sometimes, though, you will have short-term goals that don’t clearly fit into your long-term plans: for example, having a clean apartment. These goals aren’t exciting, but they’re a necessary part of life. When you feel overwhelmed, defeated, or unmotivated about daily tasks, a to-do list can help you break down these goals and develop an action plan.
Watch this video to learn about how different types of motivation can affect the way you reach your goals.
There are two types of motivation:
Extrinsic motivation is normal, but should not be your only reason. Intrinsic motivation has been proven to lead to stronger performance.
Ask yourself why you're trying to achieve a goal. If you are mostly extrinsically motivated, adjust your approach:
For help with fine-tuning your goals, check out the activity below or complete the Navigating Through Barriers Fillable PDF - opens in a new window.
Watch this video to learn about how reframing your goals can help you achieve them.
Approach goals work towards a good outcome, while avoidance goals work to keep something bad from happening.
Approach goals are generally more successful than avoidance goals, so consider whether your goals are approaching or avoiding something. Then, turn your avoidance goals into approach goals for better success.
For Example:
Avoidance goal: Exercise 3 times a week to avoid heart disease.
Approach goal: Exercise 3 times a week to feel more healthy and energetic.
The overall goal is the same, but while the avoidance goal centres on fears about illness, the approach goal focuses on how great it will feel to have more energy.
For help with reframing your goals, check out the activity below or complete the Navigating Through Barriers Fillable PDF - opens in a new window.
Watch this video to learn how you can use small rewards to increase your motivation.
There are two types of consequences:
It can be difficult to persist when you aren’t seeing the benefits of all your hard work. In fact, studies have shown that immediate consequences are better motivators than delayed consequences.
So if you find that you’re struggling to stay motivated, try tricking your brain by creating some immediate consequences for your goals.
For Example:
My goal: Study for 3 hours.
The delayed consequence: Get a good grade on the midterm.
It can take a few weeks to receive a grade on a midterm, so give yourself a small treat when you study -- like an hour with a favourite TV show.
New, immediate consequence: Watch an hour of your favourite TV show.
For help with reframing your goals, check out the activity below or complete the Navigating Through Barriers Fillable PDF - opens in a new window.