Goal Setting

Setting goals offers individuals a way to measure their achievements. Have you ever worked really hard to accomplish something? Well, remember that feeling you had when you succeeded? That is the feeling of self-confidence that you get when you continue setting goals and achieving them. It is a self-confidence and belief in yourself that will allow you to go on to achieve higher and more difficult goals personally and professionally. Simply put, a goal is the end toward which our effort is directed. It is the ideal or principle we want to achieve or accomplish. It may also be something more tangible such as an object we wish to possess. To achieve the goal we need to overcome any obstacles in our way. Obstacles are situations, actions, or individuals that hinder progress in achieving a goal.

Goals can be placed into many different categories. When we talk about how long it will take us to reach our goals we are talking about one of these three types of goals: short-term, intermediate, and long-term. Short-term goals are very specific and can be achieved in one day or take as long as six months. Long-term goals are broader than short-term goals and could take between one and five years to accomplish. Sometimes, short-term goals become intermediate goals because you may not be able to accomplish them as quickly as you had planned. Therefore, goals that are not achievable in six months but are achievable in less than twelve months are known as intermediate goals. Goals can also be categorized as personal or professional and then broken down even further into categories such as: Attitude, Career, Educational, Family, Physical, Financial, Social, etc.

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This program was developed by the West Virginia State Department of Education, the West Virginia Workplace Education Program, and the Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) V.