How to Set Small Goals

Even a small goal should be celebrated once achieved.

When you are working toward achieving success, there are going to be many goals that need to be accomplished on the way. Some of these goals will be large, such as graduating from college. However, most of them will likely be smaller, more manageable goals that can be accomplished in a short period of time. When setting these smaller goals, you need to ask what is their importance, how you can you accomplish them and what kind of help will you need along the way.

Instructions

1. Figure out what it is you want to accomplish. This might be a long-term goal, but it can help get you started with setting your short-term, smaller goals.

2. Break up the major goal into smaller, more manageable parts. These will be your small goals. For example, if your goal is to receive your advanced degree, a small goal might be to schedule four classes for the upcoming semester, three of which are in your major.

3. Find out if all the small goals you set can be accomplished. For example, when you start the process of scheduling classes, you might find that one of the courses you want is already filled. In this case, you may need to amend your small goal to taking two classes in your major and two that are not.

4. Measure your success. Some small goals, once accomplished, are easy to measure. However, a small goal such as one to learn the basics of chemistry, might be more difficult to measure. Come up with your own parameters for deciding if you have accomplished the goal or not. For example, you might decide that you have learned the basics of chemistry if you get an A in a Chemistry course.

5. Give your goal a deadline when applicable. You might want to have your classes scheduled by the end of the week, for example. Most small goals can have a set deadline or at least a general timeframe.

6. Set a realistic amount of small goals. Just because a goal is small does not mean that it will not be time consuming. For example, it might take you half the day to get your courses scheduled. On this particular day, you might not accomplish many other goals.

References

• My Goals.com Helps: Goal-Setting Tips