Are you a procrastinator? It’s okay, many students including myself are. Completing your work on time and to the best of your ability sometimes seems so far out of reach whether you are filling out work for college, going to practice for sports, or perhaps finishing up your shift at work. 

Procrastination becomes more and more of a major issue as technology becomes more integrated into school work. With a laptop in front you, it's beyond easy to check your email, send a text, or surf the web. These distractions take away from valuable work time. How will you complete your work in a way that’s easy for you?

Fear no more! It’s time to familiarize yourself with the faithful strategy of goal setting. You may not even know it, but this process has and is being used everywhere from companies designing a new building, to teachers grading your homework, and even scientists experimenting. Why is this so effective, you may ask? Let’s take a look. 

According an article from Harvard, “setting goals drive people through their learning and desired accomplishments.” Author Turkay continues to say that “goal setting costs little or nothing, and can aid successful results in our lives, both in academic and non­academic settings.” There are many cases in which goal setting can benefit high school students and shape them to be the successful, persevering young adults they are capable of becoming.

Let’s define what a goal is before we go any further. The dictionary defines a goal as the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. Therefore, goal setting is “the process of establishing an outcome (a goal) to serve as the aim of one's actions.” Goal setting is beneficial for two major reasons: it increases motivation and achievement, two valuable traits that will help everyone throughout life.

Teaching students how to set and reach their own goals may be just the step we need to creating a community of eager and proactive learners. The article reiterated this by stating  “Specifically, when students set their own goals, they take responsibility and ownership of their learning goals. Such goal­ directed behavior that results from goal setting is empowering and proactive.”

Not only is this method beneficial for already self-motivated students, the article goes into detail about the positive effects of goal setting with “low achievement” pupils. In a series of studies that had fellow classmates solve anagrams, students with low motivation enhanced their performance level by almost 30%. 

Goal setting has been known as “virtually every major theory of work motivation,” for decades and is useful for far more than acing your math test. So the next time that you’re struggling getting a job, improving your performance in sports, or even practicing your drawing skills, think how the simple and effective process of goal setting can help you get there in an easy and orderly way!

A Brief Guide to the Process of Setting and Reaching a Goal

Step 1: Envision

It’s important to visualize what your goal or endpoint is before you even begin to approach it. What will you need in order to achieve this? Are you ready to take this on? Being upfront and prepared is what will help to make this process easier and more organized.

Step 2: Break it Down

After you have figured out your goal, begin to break it down into multiple steps. This will make it look much less intimidating and more achievable.

Step 3: Put it Down

How will you achieve it if you don’t see it? Put reminders down everywhere; on your laptop, on your mirror, and everywhere else that will you remind you not to procrastinate.

Step 4: Focus

Now that you’re well on your way, keep yourself in this successful mindset. What are small steps you can take everyday to help you get closer to your endpoint? Tiny things like turning off the TV to concentrate or eating a snack before working may boost your performance.

Step 5: Review

Everyday look back on the progress that you’ve made. Even if the grand finale seems impossibly far away, reminiscing on your work so far keeps your mind sharp. Believe in yourself, and any goal is achievable. 

Article Cited: Turkay, S. (2014). Setting Goals: Who, Why, How?. Manuscript.