23 Setting Goals

Why Is This Important?

Success in college does not typically happen by accident. Students must have some motivation to achieve success. Motivation often means the difference between success and failure. Motivation applies to school, to specific tasks, and to life in general. One of the most effective ways to keep motivated is to set goals, but it is important to remember that goals always require action to complete. Setting goals is something that is frequently talked about, but it is often treated as something abstract. Goal setting is best done with careful thought and planning.

What is a Goal?

The first thing to know about goal setting is that a goal is a specific end result that you desire. Goals can be big or small. A goal can range from I am going to write one extra page tonight, to I am going to work to get an A in this course, all the way to I am going to graduate in the top of my class so I can start my career with a really good job. The great thing about goals is that they can include and influence a number of other tasks that all work toward a much bigger picture. For example, if your goal is to get an A in a certain course, all the reading, studying, and completing of assignments you do for that course contribute to the larger goal of graduating at the top of your class. The larger goal helps motivate you to do each of those smaller tasks and to do them well.

Set Learning Goals

Learning vs. Performance Goals

Much of our ability to learn is governed by our motivations and goals. Sometimes hidden goals or mindsets can impact the learning process. In truth, we all have goals that we might not be fully aware of, or if we are aware of them, we might not understand how they help or restrict our ability to learn. An illustration of this can be seen if we compare a student that has performance-based goals with a student that has learning-based goals.

For example, if you are a student who is strictly performance-goal-oriented, you might only says things in a classroom discussion when you think it will make you look knowledgeable to the instructor or your classmates. On the other hand, if you are a student who is learning-goal-oriented, your interactions in classroom discussions will look quite different. You see the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions as a way to gain knowledge quickly. In a classroom discussion, you can ask for clarification immediately if you don’t quite understand what is being discussed. If you are a person guided by learning goals, you are less worried about what others think since you are there to learn and you see that as the most important goal.

Another example where the difference between the mindsets of performance-based goals and learning-based goals is clear can be found in assignments and other coursework. If you are a student who is more concerned about performance, you may avoid work that is challenging. You will take the “easy A” route by relying on what you already know. You will not step out of your comfort zone because your goals are based on approval of your performance instead of being motivated by learning. However, if you are a student who is motivated by learning goals, you may actively seek challenging assignments, and you will put a great deal of effort into using the assignment to expand on what you already know. While getting a good grade is important to you, what is even more important is the learning itself.

If you find that you sometimes lean toward performance-based goals, do not feel discouraged. Many of the best students tend to initially focus on performance until they begin to see the ways it can restrict their learning. The key to switching to learning-based goals is a matter of recognizing that focusing on learning can positively impact your success in college and in life.^[1]

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

The research-based model of the fixed and growth mindsets and their influence on learning was presented in 1988 by Carol Dweck. In Dr. Dweck’s work, she determined that a student’s perception about their own learning, accompanied by a broader goal of learning, had a significant influence on their ability to overcome challenges and grow in knowledge and ability. This has become known as the fixed vs. growth mindset model. In this model, the performance–goal-oriented student is represented by the fixed mindset, while the learning–goal-oriented student is represented by the growth mindset.

Set Motivating Goals

When you set a goal, it is important that the goal comes from you. If the goal is not something you are really interested in, there is little motivational drive to achieve it. Think back to when you were much younger and some well-meaning adult set a goal for you — something that didn’t really appeal to you at all. How motivated were you to achieve the goal? More than likely, if you were successful at all in meeting the assigned goal, it was because you were motivated by earning the approval of someone or receiving a possible reward, or you were concerned with avoiding something adverse that might happen if you did not do what you were told. From an honest perspective in that situation, your real goal was based on something else, not meeting the goal that was set for you. To get the most from the goals you set, make sure they are things that you are interested in achieving.

That is not to say you shouldn’t set goals that are supported by other motivations (for example, telling yourself that if you finish studying by Friday, you can go out on Saturday), but the idea is to be honest with yourself about what is important and why.

As with anything else, the key to reaching goals is to keep yourself motivated. In the following graphic you will find seven methods that highly successful people use to stay motivated.^[4]

Set SMART Goals