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

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

3. 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.

4. To achieve your goals, you must have
MOTIVATION!

5. 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.

6. An Obstacle to Achieving Goals…
Procrastination

7. 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
Is a form of resistance
or way to avoid doing
an activity that is
unpleasant or
uninteresting
Is the result of living & reliving old patterns
without having effective strategies for modifying
old behaviors & making changes

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

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

10. Short-term Goals 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.

11. Long-term Goals 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

12. 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:
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.

13. 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.

14. Now…let’s practice identifying good goals.
(Turn to p. 17 in your packet as we do this slide
together.)
Specific
Challenge
Measure
Realistic
Date
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.

15. Continuation of p. 17 of Packet…
Specific
Challenge
Measure
Realistic
Date
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.

16. 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!!