Lesson 6 - Setting Goals 1

Coaching for College Students

Lesson 6 – Goals – Part I

Last time, we talked about BHAG -– Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  This lesson is for setting goals.

Goals are very important.  Our opening quote is: “Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.”   Yes, add meaning and direction to your life by setting goals and by charging after them.

First – set high, but possible goals.  Stretch yourself.  A ‘non-stretch goal’:  This semester, my goal is to get all “C’s”.  For some people setting a goal of all “A’s” would be a real stretch – but it is possible. 

Poor goal:  By age 30, I will be the CEO of Apple and making 5 million dollars a year.  Wouldn’t that be nice – but impossible (maybe by age 40!!!).

Poor goal (at least for most of us): By age 23, I will be the starting quarterback on the Green Bay Packers.  Unless you are an experienced quarterback, playing on a nationally ranked NCAA Division I football team, pretty unreachable. 

Second – goals should have short term goals; medium range goals and long range goals. 

Short Range goals: Goals for the semester.  The best suggestion is 5 to 7 reachable (but also stretch) goals for the semester.  They can include academic, fitness and even social. 

Goals for the week:  This week, I will do these goals (list)

Even goals for the day:  Today I will work on these goals (list)

Medium range goals – could be for the academic year; for your college years; for an internship, study abroad, learning a language or other goal.

Longer range goals could be for 2 to 50 years.  Long range goals should have short range and medium range goals that build up to the final long range goal.   

Having a goal of being elected President of the United States in 2060 might be a good goal, but you will need several other goals along the way:  getting involved in politics, working on other campaigns, working as an aid to a congressman or other, running for a low level office, working up to national prominence, and more. 

Third – Write your goals down and carry them.  I carry my goals on a folder Post-it note in my billfold.  On flights, taxi rides, even while waiting for appointments, I can pull out my goals and affirm them in my mind.  I say them aloud to get them into my memory.  Saying goals out loud uses the brain, eyes (to read), ears (to hear the goals); mouth (to speak the goals) and by using more of the body it becomes more of your entire being. 

Print them on a sheet of paper and have them in your bathroom / bedroom so you can see them when you get up and when you go to bed.  Go over them as you fall asleep. 

Assignment:

1. Take time to write down specific short-term, medium-term and long-range goals
2. Put them where you can see them frequently
3. Review them at least five times every day.

And a quote from Abraham Lincoln: ““Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.”