TRANSCRIPT: Setting & Accomplishing Realistic Goals

Speaker: Laurie Hazard

Setting Goals

My name is Laurie Hazard, and at the university where I work I’m in charge of the student success programs. I also teach the Applied Psychology Department, and I’ve been studying the personality traits, habits and attitudes of students that create student success.

So today we’re going to talk about one particular habit that can really create success for students, and that’s the habit of goal setting. So what we’re going to do first is talk about why students should set goals. We’re first going to define goals so you can understand that there are all different types of goals. We’re going to talk about the idea of smart goals and what are smart goals. And then we’re going to investigate the obstacles that can create roadblocks for students when they set their goals. And I’m going to give you tips on staying focused on achieving your goals so you can achieve student success.

Why Set Goals?

So as a student you might be asking the question, why should I set goals? What’s the purpose of setting goals? And goals have been researched heavily, and we know that it’s one proven strategy that can help keep you on task, and as I said, move you toward success and help you reach your potential. There have been countless studies in business and general psychology that have shown that goal setting is a tried and true strategy that works well in enhancing performance. In fact, these studies have crossed over 40,000 different participants, over 20 different countries. So goals will help focus your effort, help with your motivation and prolong persistence.

So what’s persistence? Persistence is that stick-to-it-iveness so that if you do get stuck with roadblocks along the way, you have a strategy to work through those roadblocks. And that’s why goal setting is important for students.

What Is A Goal? 

So what is a goal exactly? A goal is the ability to stay motivated and anticipate the future. It’s also the ability to organize your behavior over extended periods of time. So as a student, how would you do this? For example, let’s say that you have a chapter on biology due on Friday and it’s 150 pages. In that way you’re anticipating the future. You’re looking ahead and noticing that in your calendar you have a chapter due on Friday. How are you going to organize your behavior over extended periods of time so that you accomplish this relatively short-term goal? What you are going to have to do is look at Wednesday, for example, and see you have a lot of student activities to participate in on Wednesday, so Wednesday wouldn’t be a good day to do reading. So instead you organize your behavior on Monday and Tuesday and Friday and you decide you’re going to organize your behavior over three days so that you can meet the goal of completing your biology chapter on Friday.

In order to meet goals you have to have certain competencies and skills, and there are two types. One is cognitive competencies, the other is behavioral competencies. So cognitive competencies are thinking about all of the goals that you have set over the course of a week and figuring out how you’re going to problem solve if you reach roadblocks in your goals. So, for example, let’s say you’re reading that biology chapter and you notice that there’s a particular area that you get really confused about. How are you going to think about solving that problem? What’s the behavior that you would have to enact, the behavioral competency, to solve the problem of not understanding a particular section of your chapter? One behavior that you could enact would be to ask a friend. Another behavior could be seek out tutoring. A third behavior could be go in and see your professor during your office hours. So you need cognitive competencies, the ability to think about your roadblocks and solve problems around them, and then enact the behaviors in order to reach those goals.

Types Of Goals

So goal setting seems relatively easy, right? Well, not exactly. Goal setting can be a complex process. There are all different types of goals. And in order to be an effective goal setter, we’re going to outline the different types of goals. First is subjective goals, then objective, then outcome, then performance, then process goals. So we’re going to go through each one of those types of goals so that you can come to a keen understanding of them in order for you to be an effective goal setter.

Subjective Goals

So subjective goals are general statements of intent. Saying things like, I want to do my best. You might say, I want to be a better athlete. You might say, I want to make the Dean’s list. You might say, I want to get good grades.

Now let’s drill down those general statements of intent. Let’s say you say, I want to get good grades. For you, what exactly does that mean? Some students might be satisfied in a course that they are challenged by to get a C in that certain subject area. Other students might want to get an A. The other day I was working with a student and she got a 96 on a paper, and she went line by line through the paper to figure out where she lost those four points. So when that student says I want to get good grades, what she means is she wants to get 100. So subjective goals are vague in some senses because it sounds good that you want to make the Dean’s list, but what do you need to do to get there? It sounds good that you might want to make an A, but what exactly do you need in the interim period to step up and get those subjective goals?

So lets think about a general statement of intent and stop for a minute and write down a subjective goal that you would like to reach.

For example, "I'd like to make the Dean's list". So think about your subjective goal, and let's write one down.

Objective Goals

So how did you do with your subjective goal? Let’s say, for example, that your subjective goal is I’d like to earn an A on the research paper. And your professor assigns this research paper at the beginning of the semester or the beginning of a quarter. Well, it’s nice to say I’d like to get an A on that research paper, a subjective goal, but how are you going to reach that subjective goal? Well, there’s another type of goal called an objective goal. And that is attaining a specific standard of proficiency on a specific task during a particular time period. So in terms of reaching an A on a research paper at the end of a semester, how are you going to take that subjective goal and break it down into an objective goal? One step in getting an A on a research paper is making sure that you get good sources. So one objective goal that you might set during this process is go to the library by October 15th and get three peer review journal articles. That’s taking that objective goal and breaking it down into small increments. Three articles by a specific time period, October 15th, so that you can get that subjective goal of reaching an A on a research paper done by the end of your quarter or semester.

So what I’d like you to do now is think about a particular subjective goal you have, and see if you can create an objective goal that is one step toward reaching that subjective goal and write that down.

Outcome Goals 

So there’s another type of goal called an outcome goal. And while outcome goals are good to have, it’s a piece of an objective goal, and here’s an example of an outcome goal, I’d like to receive an A on the research paper. That’s focused on the outcome, the end result. And while it’s good to understand what you want your end result to be, sometimes if you focus too much on outcome goals, you stay away from those objective goals, so really the key is to focus on your objective goals, know what your outcome goal is, but stay focused on the objective goal as opposed to the outcome goal. 

Performance Goals

So another type of goal is a performance goal, and that’s self-reflecting and looking at your performance on past experiences when you’re setting a particular goal. So let’s go back to that research paper example. Let’s say that you do have an assignment of a research paper. What you’re going to want to do is reflect on past research papers that you’ve done. Maybe what you’d like to do is look at particular papers and see what kind of feedback you’ve received so you can assess your performance. So a performance goal is looking at how am I doing along the way, gathering feedback, and seeing how you can adjust your behavior so that you can reach that particular outcome goal of the A on the paper.

Process Goals

So evidence and research suggests that it’s really important to stay focused on the process of your goals. And, in fact, that’s the last type, process goals. So while you have performance goals that you know you want to reach that standard of proficiency, an A on a particular task, how is it that you’re going to get there? It’s important for students to focus on the process. So the research paper, again, gives an excellent example of this. What’s the process of writing a research paper? One part of the process is brainstorming. The other one is soliciting feedback from your professor. Gathering resources. Drafting your paper. Perhaps getting help from the Ratings Center. Meeting with your professor and conferencing with them about the particular topic. Forming your thesis statement. So within the process of writing a research paper, there are all sorts of steps. And people are much better at reaching their performance goals, those end results that they want, if they are really paying particular attention to the process goals all along the way.

SMART Goals

So in addition to the five types of goals, there’s also another way to conceptualize goals, and that is with an acronym called SMART. So your goals must be SMART. SMART stands for number one, Specific. Number two, Measurable. Number three, Attainable. Number four, Relevant, and number five Time Based. So what does that mean when we say specific? Well, specific goals are really objective goals. That has goals that have a beginning point and an end point. And if we go back to the reading example, that’s a specific goal, deciding that you’re going to read page one through 50. They have to be measurable. Can you measure your progress of reading pages one through 50? So, in other words, can you read for a little while and then check how long you’re taking to read and then seeing how many pages you’ve got through. So let’s say you read for 20 minutes and you check your progress, and you see that you’ve read ten pages. That’s measurable. You can measure those ten pages that you’ve read toward that final goal of 50 pages.

Your goals have to be attainable, so in this sense they have to be realistic. So if you decided that you were going to read 50 pages in economics from 1:00 to 1:30, that might not be attainable. It seems like it would take longer to read 50 pages than 30 minutes. So your goals have to be attainable, and in that way you have to be smart about them and leave yourself enough time to accomplish your goals.

Your goals have to be relevant. So when you are looking at your schedule, and for example you see that an exam is coming. Your relevant goals would be to read an outline in a particular chapter for the particular exam that’s coming up. It has to be relevant to what’s coming around the corner. 

And then finally your goals have to be time based. It’s important that you figure out what we call your time on task. So it’s good for each subject area, for example, to figure out how long does it take you to read 30 pages? It might take you to read 30 pages, an hour for economics, but it might take you two hours for biology. So that’s what we mean by time based.

So your goals have to be SMART, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Based.

Identifying SMART Goals

So you might be asking, how do I know if my goals are SMART? Well, here’s an objective of weak objectives and excellent objectives, so I want you to look at them so you can see if you can distinguish among the two types. A weak objective is vague and general. Read economics. A strong objective gives lots of detail about exactly how you’re going about doing the task.

You’re going to assign page numbers. You’re going to make them time based. Then you’re going to use those cognitive competencies and say to yourself, if I run into any problems, I’m going to create a list of questions I’m not clear on, and then go to my professor during their office hours and ask about those questions I’m not clear on. So an excellent objective goes through the whole process of looking at what you have to do and enacting those cognitive competencies and behavioral solutions.

Roadblocks & Obstacles

So on the surface it might seem like this process of goal setting is relatively simple. But I be there’s a time that you’ve set a goal and you haven’t been able to follow through on it. It’s happened to all of us. So what I’d like you to do right now are think of potential things that can get in the way of you achieving your goals. We call those roadblocks and obstacles. Roadblocks and obstacles can come from either the inside or the outside. So an internal roadblock, for example, might be a feeling that you have. You’re too tired, you feel unmotivated to read a chapter. That’s an internal roadblock.

An external roadblock are things that come from the outside. Let’s say that you decided to do your studying for a test in your residence hall room, and your friends are coming in and out and creating lots of distractions. That’s an external roadblock.

In addition to internal and external roadblocks and obstacles, human beings tend to have favorite replacement activities that get in the way of them reaching their goals. So my favorite replacement activity is email, and that tends to get in my way. What’s your favorite replacement activity? Each and every one of us has something that we like to do instead of working toward our goals.

So what I’d like you to do right now is brainstorm a list of internal and external roadblocks and a list of replacement activities that you’ve experienced that have prevented you from reaching your goals.

Internal Roadblocks

So how did you do with your list? Let’s talk about some internal roadblocks that I’ve noticed in students when I’m working with them and trying to move them toward success and move them toward achieving their goals.

One internal roadblock could be lack of knowledge. The research paper, for example. Let’s say on your research paper part of the assignment is to obtain three peer review journal articles from the library, and you don’t know what a peer review journal article is. That’s one type of roadblock, that lack of no how, or lack of knowledge. That can create a roadblock.

Sometimes lack of motivation can create a roadblock. Let’s say you don’t enjoy writing, so the second you have a paper assignment your motivation plummets. 

Let’s say lack of interest. Maybe you’re taking a course that’s part of your general education requirements and so you’re just not interested. That can create an internal roadblock.

Procrastination and time management behaviors can create internal roadblocks. Some of us tend to procrastinate, that is, put off things to the last minute. That’s an internal roadblock.

Sometimes we might have low self-confidence, just feeling that you’re not very good at something. Another internal roadblock.

And finally we can have negative attitudes. We can look at things half glass empty, and a negative attitude can also function to create an internal roadblock.

External Roadblocks

Okay. There are also external roadblocks, and those are very similar to replacement activities. External roadblocks typically come from our outside environment. Family and friends can function as an external roadblock. I often say to students, procrastinators recruit other people to procrastinate with them. Usually when someone is procrastinating they try to get their friends to procrastinate with them. That’s because of that old adage misery loves company. And if you’re procrastinating along with your friends you don’t feel as guilty about it. So sometimes if our friends are being productive and doing their homework, we might want to drag them out to a leisure activity. And so those are external roadblocks that come from the environment and we’re trying to recruit them to create replacement activities.

Today social media is a big replacement activity. I’m sure you can think of a time that you’ve whittled hours away being on the internet or being on Facebook. So essentially external roadblocks are things that come from the outside environment. They could be activities that you’ve involved yourself in and maybe you’ve over-scheduled yourself. So it’s really important to think about the difference between internal and external roadblocks, and in order to meet your goals, you have to think about how can I remove those roadblocks and those internal and external distracters so I can move toward achieving my goals. 

Assessing Goals

So let’s put this new knowledge about goal setting into action. What I’d like you to do right now is think about your current courses and some of the goals that you have to do right now in your classes. Once you have that goal in mind, I’d like you to take a minute and fill out this assessment tool so you can assess whether or not you’re going to be able to meet that projected goal.

In order to meet the projected goal, I will need to; Meet with my professor during his or her office hours, external. Get a one-on-one tutor, external. Learn new and or more effective study strategies, internal and external. Increase my interest in the subject matter, internal. Find out a way to motivate myself to stick to my plan, internal. Adjust my attitude slash mindset, internal. Other? Please explain.

Assessing Roadblocks

Now what I’d like you to do is think about a goal that you’ve had in the past that you were unable to reach for whatever reason, and I want you to get that solidly in your mind, and then I want you to stop and do the next assessment tool to see what kinds of roadblocks got in your way when you were unable to meet that particular goal.

I did not have enough time, external. My time projections were not accurate, internal. I did not understand the content of the assignment, internal. I was unable to focus / sustain motivation, internal. I was unable to get help from a tutor, external. My motivation, internal. Attitude / mindset, internal. Other? Please explain.

Staying Focused On Success

So it’s not always easy to stay focused on success. William Glasser talks about this idea of success counseling, and it’s a step-by-step process to help individuals stay focused on their goals. So when you have a goal in mind, what you want to do is think about what do I want to get out of this particular goal? What do I want to get out of it right now, a week from now, a month from now, or in the future? And then you say to yourself, what am I doing right now to get what I want? So let’s say that I project a goal that I want to run a 5k, and that’s my end goal. I would have to say to myself, what am I doing right now to get what I want? Am I sitting on the couch and eating candy or am I getting out and running? That’s what I would have to do right now to get what I want.

Then you have to ask yourself, is what I’m doing right now at this moment helping to move me toward that end goal? If it’s not, I have to examine my alternative options and create a new plan to do better. And I always have to keep those obstacles in mind, be aware of them so I can remove them, and never give up. That’s success counseling.

Conclusion

So let’s review some tips for effective goal setting. First and foremost it’s important for you to be aware of those internal and external roadblocks and analyze them so you know what has the potential to get in the way of you reaching your goals.

It’s also important to figure out replacement activities. One tip I often give students is to take your replacement activities and turn it around into a reward. So let’s say that sometimes you find yourself caught up on social media or you’re getting on your computer. What you can do is you can use that as a reward. So plan on reading 20 pages of a book, then set your smartphone timer for five minutes, get on social media for five minutes, then your alarm will go off, go back to reading for 20 minutes, and then use that replacement activity as a reward. So it’s always important to turn those replacement activities around to a reward. 

Now let’s say that you’re having a little bit of difficulty following through on that. I often say that it’s helpful to ask a friend for social support. And in that way I would say find an accountability partner. Chances are there’s someone in your classes that has the same tasks to do that you have to do. So, for example, I know that I need to exercise every day and one thing that I like to do is go for a walk. But sometimes I won’t go by myself but I will ask for an accountability partner. I’ll seek out social support from a friend and I’ll ask them to take a walk with me. So if you apply that to your academic activities, you could get an accountability partner or seek out social support from a friend who has the same tasks that you have to do in class.

It’s important for you to be realistic about your goals. And above all, to keep in mind that time-on-task concept. When you’re organizing your goals you have to be keenly aware of how long it’s going to take you to reach each and every one of those smaller objective goals so that you can reach your end goal. So, again, if it’s reading a chapter, how long does it take you to read a chapter in economics? Keep in mind time on task and you’ll successfully move toward reaching your goals.