Going for the “Goal-d”

Goals are a part of life, whether you are the type of person who keeps them taped to your mirror or stored in the back of your mind. There are big goals, small goals, important goals, “wishful-thinking” goals (Chris Pine will be mine…), etc. Regardless of the type, all require a certain amount of thought, effort, and organization. Goal-setting is not only a blueprint for your own success but also a powerful tool in motivation–who doesn’t need that?

By Jordan

Everyone struggles with motivational issues at some point. With so many stressors and distractions constantly vying for our mind’s attention (alcohol, TV, alcohol again), feeling motivated to complete tasks can be REALLY difficult. However, it is important that goal-setting be a regularly-used skill in our daily lives. Being a serious procrastinator myself (hey, America’s Next Top Model reruns can be a little distracting, OK?), I have found that setting goals have made my thoughts and actions more organized, efficient, and clear-cut.

So how do you maximize the ability of your goals to motivate you?

Dr. Edwin Locke, a pioneer in the research of motivation and goal-setting (and probably a guest star in one of your PSY101 lectures), provides five characteristics of goals that each contribute to the goal’s effectiveness of promoting motivation. You wanna be successful (uh, duh!), take these into consideration:

Clarity
Goals that are clear are ones that are straightforward, able to be measured, and cause you to take action! Being specific is key—adopting a definite time set for a goal and an detailed description of what you want to achieve allows for a better understanding of potential rewards. Vague goals such as “Lose weight” or “Get ahead on schoolwork” are unlikely to motivate. However, goals such as “Lose 30 pounds by September 1st,” or  “Finish 3 assignments for next week before going out to the keg race,” are more likely to create a more tangible ending, therefore boosting motivation.

Challenge
It has been proven that more challenging goals are more motivating. We are often driven by things that challenge us (it’s true–despite how much you argue that sitting on the couch eating PB&J is better), so a more challenging goal equates to a higher level of satisfaction when completed. Also, the difficulty of the goal goes hand-in-hand with the level of reward on the other side, leading to increased potential rewards, as well (yay!). However, keep in mind that challenging goals also have to be realistic. Setting the bar too high (“Fit into a size 4 by tomorrow morning”) can lead to disappointment and, understandably, a decrease in motivation. However, setting the bar high enough to require extra effort and investment into the outcome will encourage commitment and passion for success.

Commitment
Commitment to personal goals can be difficult because most of the time we tend to be our worst managers (to put it lightly–we suck–way too many excuses!). However, by making the goal challenging, telling others about the goal (“I have to get my paper done by Thursday, so do NOT let me go out tonight!”), and setting checkpoints at which you assess your progress (use that pretty paper you bought at Barnes & Noble for a to-do list), the accountability and commitment will increase the likelihood of success.

Feedback
Feedback provides opportunities to do a “check-up” on how realistic our expectations are, adjust the difficulty of the goal, and gain recognition. As mentioned in the commitment section, it is important to create checkpoints for self-assessment and feedback. This helps to define progress and mark specific success along the way, making intermediate milestones within close reach (1 page, 2 pages, 3 pages– wait, is this supposed to be double or single-spaced?!). For example, if you are trying to lose weight, take pictures or weigh yourself every week!

Task Complexity
Goals need to be broken into specific expectations. Building your own expectations at the beginning of the process is helpful in carrying out and completing the tasks involved. Make sure that, if the task is difficult, to give yourself enough time to carry out all areas needing to be completed (“getting into a size 4, and getting Chris Pine to marry me by tomorrow” is not a suitable option). Also, give yourself enough time to learn any new skills that are required to achieve your goals. Learning to run properly, for example, is important to accomplish before being able to accomplish a goal of running a marathon.

By reviewing these factors while goal-setting, you are able to better create goals that improve motivation and, in turn, increase the chance of success. A helpful website for setting goals is Goalforit.com— you can set goals and sub-goals, add friends for accountability (ouch, embarrassment is a good motivator for me), and create your own personal profile. Also, if you are more adventurous, StickK.com allows you to wager bets with friends or “pay up” to a charity or “anti-charity” (an organization you despise) every time you do not meet a checkpoint on the way to your goal.

Here’s to going for the “goal-d”!