I can identify my first couple of years studying Economics at university, as the time when I wasn’t able to accomplish a goal. Contrarily, a time I was successful in achieving a goal was when I have attain my Oenology degree.
The negative outcome in regards to my first example was due to the lack of my own intrinsic motivations and realistic goal-setting. I was “forced” to study Economics as was something everyone wanted me to do. Hence, as I didn’t have a clear direction or a goal I wanted to achieve, after two years I dropped my studies. After a while I have decided to study Oenology as it was something I wanted to do.
Thus, brings me to clarify why I was successful in achieving the second example. I was born in a region where the production of wine was the main factor in the economic growth around the area. I had a very strong intrinsic motivation at the time, as I wanted to know more about this very interesting process that goes from the identification of the soil where the vines will be planted to the final drinkable product, bottling and commercialization. As soon as I started my studies I had written down my plan for the years to come with a very clear goal and those small objectives that I was meant to firstly achieve in order to attain my degree. Having a clear idea and a constant reminder of what I want to achieved helped me to be successful this second time around.
Effectively set goals provide us with a clearer direction of what we really want to achieve for our future, and how we want to get there; addressing all our efforts towards the accomplishment of that particular vision. We should always have this plan
Good goals should always be written down as a motivational statement that will help us with its achievability; and they also should be set following the S.M.A.R.T technique, which means they have to be:
Specific: as previously mentioned, for our goals to provide us with a clear direction showing us the way towards our goals, they have to be well-defined and precise.
Measurable: create more specific objectives that will allow us to measure our progress towards that particular overall goal.
Achievable or attainable: we have to be sure our goals are not too easy and they are realistic but not impossible otherwise we will lose direction and motivation.
Relevant: our goals have to be inherent and align to our main purpose and specific direction or else we will be wasting our time and effort following goals that pursue different paths.
Timely: to create that sense of urgency our goals have to have a well-defined deadline that will allow us to focus, and keep in mind, when we want to achieve that specific goal.
My Short-term goal is to pass, with a good grade, the first year of my studies at the University of the People. This will be possible by exceeding in every unit of every subject that will be part of this academic year. By doing so, I will be working day after day towards the achievement of my mid-term goal.
My Mid-term goal, consequently, is to successfully attain my BS-BA degree with the UoPeople within 4 years from now, by exceeding in all the subjects I have chosen to form part of my curricula, which will bring me a step closer to my overall goal.
Finally, my Long-term goal is (after attaining my degree) within the next 10 years, to specialize in “small business management” to successfully become an independent business management consultant and work towards an enjoyable retirement (this long-term goal will be reassess at the completion of my degree).
