3 Committing to Goals
Learning Outcomes
- Identify career and/or academic goals.
- Describe why your goals are important to you.
- Create a plan to accomplish your goals.
- Identify ways to maintain grit.
Setting Goals
Some students begin college with a clear sense of their career goals (e.g. I am majoring in psychology and plan to pursue a master’s in mental health and wellness and open my own counseling practice.).
Others are unsure of their future paths, and this is okay, even if your friends or family members may be telling you that you must decide immediately. Even if you are unsure of your goals, it is helpful to set some short-term goals to move you toward clarity. For example, you could set a short-term goal to meet with a career counselor at your college or to take a career assessment. You might set a goal to declare your major by a certain semester.
If you are nervous about your first semester of college, you might also consider goals to help you succeed in your first semester (e.g. I will turn in all assignments by the deadlines this semester, OR I will go to the Tutoring Center this semester.).
The point is that you need a goal of some sort. Without goals, motivation suffers; and low motivation leads to poor attendance and work habits.
Spend some time identifying and reflecting on your goals through the following reflective exercise.
Activity 1: Reflect on Your Goals
Identify at least two goals that you would like to pursue and that are related to your career or academics. These can be long term goals or more immediate short term ones.
Why did you choose these goals?
What is your plan to accomplish them?
Record your thoughts, and share them with an academic advisor or counselor for feedback.
Angela Duckworth and Grit
Angela Duckworth discusses grit in her TED Talk, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.” Grit is necessary for persisting with your goals. She states,
Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Watch her TED Talk below and complete the exercise that follows.
Angela Duckworth’s TED Talk is shared under a Creative Commons license, CC BY–NC–ND 4.0.
Activity 2: Self-assess Your Grit
Visit the following link to complete a self-assessment of your grit: Angela Duckworth’s Grit Scale.
After you complete the self-assessment, reflect on what you could do to build or maintain perseverance in your academics and in accomplishing your goals.
Write down your ideas. Then, talk with your peers about their suggestions for building and maintaining grit.
