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Chapter 2: The Goal Zone

Ten Golden Rules of Goal Setting

The best way to achieve your goals is to know your goals and, perhaps even more significantly, to understand the process of goal setting. Knowing that you want to make a team or ace a test or buy a new car is not enough. You will need a method to take you where you want to go. To that end, we're going to provide you with the following "golden rules" of goal setting.

Think and act positively. You can go so much further with a positive frame of mind than you can with a negative orientation.
Develop a game plan. A game plan is a carefully thought-out, multifaceted blueprint intended to help you achieve your goal. It takes into account the resources you will need to succeed and shows you how to secure those resources.
Create "goal-units." Some goals, like graduating from college, are large in scope. So do yourself a favor-break your goals down into smaller "goal-units."
Own your own goals. Goals are personal. They belong to you, not to other people.
Put it in writing. You'll find that you're much more likely to realize your goals if you commit them to writing. Look at them several times a day so they sink in.
Be specific. Set a date by which you want to achieve your goal, and figure out how you're going to measure your progress.
Assess your goals to determine if they can truly be achieved. Be realistic. Don't do yourself a disservice by setting up goals that you can't possibly achieve.
Not all goals are created equal. Understand the difference between a short-term goal and a long-term goal. It usually requires more planning to achieve long-term goals than short-term ones.
Have a back-up plan. As hard as you try, you may fail to achieve your goal. Have a back-up plan ready. "If this doesn't work out, I'll try that."
Understand that goal setting never ends. If you look at the habits of successful people, you'll see that they don't rest on their laurels. These people understand that goals make life worth living.

C-A-N-'T Stands for Can, and Need To!

Through college (and life), you will encounter many people and ideas that will help you on your journey. There will also be obstacles that appear to hinder your progress.

Your Goals and Other People

Other people can help or hinder you in your quest for success. Most people claim that other people's opinions of them don't matter-and nothing could be further from the truth. The overwhelming majority of humans care, usually quite a bit, about what others think of them. This can be a damaging way to think, but sometimes it can be used for motivation.

Tell People about Your Plans

Once you write down your goals, don't be shy about them. There is an element of accountability when others know what you plan to do. Whether it means prominently displaying your goals where people can see them or being upfront about your ideas when asked about them, make your goals known! You are much more likely to follow through with your reputation at stake.

Use the Encouragers, Forget the Discouragers

If someone claims that you can't do what you have set out to do, remember that personal success is success to you, and you only. The people telling you that it's impossible may not be able to do it, but that doesn't mean that you can't. In contrast, you will find other people who believe in everything you plan to do. Surrounding yourself with these people will be one of the most powerful enablers in your life at college.

Reflections: Other People and Your Goals

Think of a time when people in your life encouraged you. How did you feel? What did you achieve?
Think of a time in your life when people didn't believe in you or discouraged you. How did you feel? What did you achieve?

The Two "P"s: Procrastination and Perfectionism

People who don't experience conflict around success enjoy a definite advantage in life. They can see a clear path to their goals. Many people, however, engage in certain modes of behavior that can totally derail the goal-setting process. Chief among these behaviors are the two "P"s-procrastination and perfectionism.

Procrastination

Procrastination is the fine art of putting off until tomorrow what you'd be better off doing today. If you think you suffer from procrastination, there are some practical strategies for overcoming it. These include:

Set a firm deadline for starting your task. This is an actual time-not when the stars are aligned in their most advantageous position; not as soon as you've cleaned up your desk; not when you shake that headache.
Start small, if necessary. If you're confronting a job you dread, start with something you know you can handle. Completing one small job will give you a sense of achievement that will fuel you as you go on to your next task.
Stroke yourself for a job well done. Everyone likes rewards, so, when you've accomplished something that you've been avoiding, give yourself a treat.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is perhaps best defined as a self-defeating mode of thinking and behavior wherein one aims for excessively high and unrealistic goals. Perfectionists fear failure, disapproval, rejection, criticism, and making mistakes. What perfectionists don't realize is that mistakes are a completely normal and inevitable part of the learning process and everyone experiences them.

Perfectionists need to review and adjust their goal-setting processes. Keep the following pointers in mind to help you with this problem:

Formulate goals that are realistic and attainable.
Experiment with not being perfect.
Focus on process, not product.
Check in with yourself regularly. If you're feeling anxious or depressed about your work, ask yourself if you've set impossible standards.
Ask yourself: what's the very worst thing that can happen? If you don't get an "A" on that paper, what's that really going to mean?
Ruminate on your mistakes. It doesn't hurt that much, does it?

Remember: perfectionism is just a habit. And habits are made to be broken.

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