Goal Setting
LISD Guidance and Counseling
Why set goals?
We’ve all set goals for different things in our lives… probably with different levels of success. Maybe we achieve some goals, but not others. And we probably don’t know exactly why we succeeded sometimes and not others. Most people are never taught to set SMART goals. We’re all expected to set and achieve goals as we study to get an A in a test, work and finish a science project, train to try out for a sports team, or audition for a role in the school play.
The easiest way to make a goal achievable is to define it clearly, make it easy to understand, and to define it with enough information so you know exactly when it’s been completed. Using SMART goals will:
- give you clarity about what you want to accomplish
- make you think about why you’re trying to achieve each goal
- make you define the activities you need to complete
- keep you motivated by focusing on the end result
- make you work toward a specific deadline
How do I know if my goal is SMART?
Here is an example of a goal:
“Regular” GoalSMART Goal
I want to be a better tennis playerI want to win a Level 6 Junior tennis tournament by September 1, 2018 because I want to keep improving at a pace that will get me a spot in the high school varsity tennis team.
A SMART goal can answer all these questions:
- Specific: What is it that I want to accomplish?
- Measurable: How do I know I reached my goal?
- Achievable: Is my goal realistic?
- Relevant: Why is it important to me?
- Time-bound: What is my deadline?
SOURCE: Teen Smart Goals
