Goal setting

Goal setting is one of the first steps in career planning. According to Skip Downing, author of On Course Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life (5th ed.), there are two types of goals: long term and short-term. Long-term goals usually have a deadline as far into the future as one year, five years, and even ten years. Short term goals usually have a deadline within a few months. The five qualities which make a goal truly motivating are:

D ated - Goals have specific deadlines.

A chievable - Goals are challenging but realistic.

P ersonal - The goals are your goals, not someone else’s.

P ositive - Make sure your goal is something you want rather than something that you do not want.

S pecific - Goals must be stated in specific, measurable terms.

There's one more thing to remember when setting your goals — be flexible. If you encounter barriers that seem like they might hinder your progress, don't give up on your goals. Instead, adjust them to meet your present situation.

posted with permission from:
Downing, Skip (2008). On Course Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.