Goal Setting

Setting goals together is an important part of the mentoring partnership. Protégés are responsible for identifying what is important to them and beginning to set goals. Mentors can help protégés develop SMART goals and identify tools and resources to help them reach those goals. Goals can be related to pretty much anything.

In the protégé training, protégés begin to Brainstorm Priorities and Set Goals! Together, talk through what priorities were identified and start talking about how to set goals. You can find additional tools and information here, then head to the other MRM milestones to set goals in academics, career exploration, civic engagement and personal development.

Brainstorming Goals:

What are some of the most important things in your life? What are some things you are passionate about?
What is something you think you are good at? What is something about yourself that you are proud of?
What is a goal you’ve achieved in the past? What helped you reach that goal? How did you feel when your goal was achieved?
What is something that is a challenge for you? What are some things you do not like to do?
What is something you’d like to change about your life right now?
What kind of lifestyle would you like to have for your future? What is one goal you would like to reach in order to have this lifestyle?

Setting SMART Goals:

SPECIFIC How can we make this goal specific? What behavior or result are we looking to change with this goal?
MEASURABLE How can we measure this goal? How will we know if we’re successful?
ATTAINABLE What do we need in order to achieve this goal? Will we need time, additional resources? Do we have those already or do we need to find them? How will we find/attain the resources we need?
REALISTIC Are we willing to do the work to reach this goal? Is this what we want?
TIME BOUND When are we going to take a look at our progress? How long do we think it will take us to reach this goal?

Goal Setting Tools and Links:

Goal Setting Worksheet: Create your own goal setting worksheet to plan, keep track of, and celebrate your goals.

Keep a Goal Journal: Use this guide to learn how to keep a goal journal using the tool above. You can draw, write, plan, and schedule your goals here.

Download an App: Get a goal setting app to easily keep track of and schedule your goals. There are many different apps that offer different features. Find one here that works for you.

Create a digital vision board using Lino or Padlet: Use pictures, digital drawings, websites, and sticky notes to visualize your future goals. Whether it is a picture of your dream job or a city you hope to visit one day, this is a great way to keep track of your goals.

New to setting goals? Use this quick guide to get started and learn the basics of goal setting.

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