Time Management Lecture 5 “Goals, Motivation, & Procrastination”

“My doctor told me to start my exercise program very gradually. Today I drove past a store that sells sweat pants.” Setting Goals…Step by Step!

What are goals?! Definition: well-defined plans aimed at achieving a specific result Students, athletes, & business people set goals. Why? *They want to get specific results from their daily efforts. *They are willing to put in a lot of hard work to realize their goals. *They know when they have successfully accomplished a particular goal.

To achieve your goals, you must have MOTIVATION!

How would you define “motivation?” The feeling, emotion, or desire that moves a person to take action. Motivation is the KEY to successful goal setting! Motivation helps you make changes in your life, learn new skills, perform at higher levels, and end procrastination. Motivation also gets you through times of frustration and discouragement.

An Obstacle to Achieving Goals… Procrastination

What exactly is procrastination? The process of putting a task off until later Represents learned behavior that can be unlearned by replacing it with goal setting uninteresting Is the result of living & reliving old patterns without having effective strategies for modifying old behaviors & making changes Is a form of resistance or way to avoid doing an activity that is unpleasant or

No action/no commitment Lose sight of goals Unreliable/untrustworthy A nasty trait that often results from habitual carelessness or downright laziness Lose self-esteem Anger Failure “This thing called failure only lasts as long as you allow it.” --Eleanor Roosevelt

Different Kinds of Goals: Short-term vs. Long-term

Generally a year or less in duration A series of short-term goals leads you toward achieving a long-term goal EXAMPLE: You have a short-term goal of passing an important class to fulfill a long-term goal of getting a degree.

Require more than a year to complete Based on a series of short-term & current goals that are linked together Can be overwhelming Breaking long- term tasks into smaller tasks & working through them one by one makes process easier and instills self-confidence Current goals are daily tasks (i.e. “To- Do Lists”) that help you reach short- term goals

How to Identify Good Long-term Goals: *First of all, what are some examples of long-term goals that you have? *You can decide whether a goal you have is good or not based on the following 5 criteria: 1.Is your goal SPECIFIC? You should use as much detail as possible when writing it down. 2. Is your goal CHALLENGING? It must require energy & discipline for you to accomplish (but not be too overwhelming, either!). 3. Is your goal MEASURABLE? You should describe it in terms that can be clearly evaluated.

The 5 Criteria for Good Goals…cont’d: 4. Is your goal REALISTIC? Always have high expectations for yourself, but be sure you are capable of reaching your goal. 5. Does your goal have a definite end DATE? Make sure your goal has a clear-cut target deadline for completion.

Now…let’s practice identifying good goals. (Turn to p. 17 in your packet as we do this slide together.) together.) SpecificChallengeMeasureRealisticDate In 10 years, I want to be making $75,000/year. I want to obtain my B.A. degree in 5 years. I want to be successful. I want to buy a BMW before I am 30. I want to get up earlier. I want to study more each day.

Continuation of p. 17 of Packet… SpecificChallengeMeasureRealisticDate I want a better relation- ship with my parents. I want to travel. I want to graduate from B.C. in 2 years. I want to go skiing in Colorado over Christmas break. I want to be happy. I want to have a good career before I get old. I want to get the ½ credit in this class.

Look at your Weekly Calendar (discussed in Lecture 4…sample can be found on p. 12 of your Packet). When you plan your schedule, consider your goals. Write out your daily (current) goals in the form of a “To Do List.” Write these out the night before. Never write more than 6 tasks, preferably only 3-4 per day. Be sure to cross off each chore as you accomplish it!!