Robert M. Kerr

Food and Agricultural Products Center

 

Back to school is an exciting time for students, teachers and parents. This is an opportunity for a fresh start with forward-thinking goals. Now is the perfect time to set achievable goals to have a successful school year. 

 

Goal setting does not have to be overwhelming. In fact, starting goals early is important to motivate and encourage a sense of achievement. When brainstorming goals for back to school, strive for goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. 

 

No matter what goal you are working to achieve, whether it is fitness related or focusing on starting a new business, it is important to remain optimistic with a hopeful mindset and stay encouraged. Remember, everybody must start somewhere.

 

Specific Goals

Sometimes, brainstorming goals can be difficult because there are so many things someone wants to accomplish. How do you narrow down your focus to a specific goal? It’s important to think about what you want to achieve and why. Next, consider when you want to accomplish this goal, whether it is before a certain date or event.

 

Measurable Goals

Good goals are trackable goals because you can look at the progress from where someone started and compared that to when the goal was completed. When is progress being made and how consistent is that progress? Quantitative goals are descriptive to how much or how many until a goal is reached.

 

Achievable Goals

How do you set realistic goals while still challenging yourself? The goal must remain possible to the specific person. To set achievable goals, think about a plan of action and ask yourself how realistic the plan is for a set time frame. A lot of the time, people set long-term goals that are unrealistic. If a goal is too big, someone might not see immediate results and become discouraged. 

 

Relevant Goals

What motivates you to accomplish something? A goal should be personal and relevant to a specific person. If it’s something valued and a personal priority to someone, it is more likely they will be able to achieve it. Finding a goal that sparks interest is key. 

 

Timely Goals

Lastly, when are the start and end dates for the goal? Having a deadline helps with accountability and limits procrastination. A timely goal is more likely to be achieved if a specific deadline is set in place. Even having set days to check progress can help someone stay on track to achieving their goals.