presentation on goal setting

What is Goal Setting and How to Do it Well

Perhaps you know exactly what you want to achieve, but have no idea how to get there.

That’s where goal setting comes in. Goals are the first step towards planning for the future, and play a fundamental role in the development of skills in various facets of life, from work to relationships and everything in between. They are the target at which we aim our proverbial arrow.

Understanding the importance of goals and the techniques involved in setting achievable goals paves the way for success.

In the words of Pablo Picasso:

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

What is goal setting, why is goal setting important, key principles of goal setting, 8 interesting facts on goal setting, research and studies, how and why goal setting works, what skills does it require, an outline for personal goal setting, 3 descriptions of goal setting in practice, 3 goal-setting pdfs, how often should we review goals, how can we best achieve goals we have set, 7 tips and strategies, a take-home message.

Goal setting is a powerful motivator, the value of which has been recognized in an abundance of clinical and real-world settings for over 35 years.

‘Goals,’ are “ the object or aim of an action, for example, to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit .” (Locke & Latham, 2002, p. 705) They are the level of competence that we wish to achieve and create a useful lens through which we assess our current performance.

Goal setting is the process by which we achieve these goals. The importance of the goal-setting process should not go unappreciated. According to Lock (2019) “ Every person’s life depends on the process of choosing goals to pursue; if you remain passive you are not going to thrive as a human being. ”

Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1984) is based on the premise that conscious goals affect action (Ryan, 1970) and conscious human behavior is purposeful and regulated by individual goals. Simply put, we must decide what is beneficial to our own welfare, and set goals accordingly.

Why do some people perform better on tasks than others? According to Ryan (1970), if individuals are equal in ability and knowledge, then the cause must be motivational .

The theory states that the simplest and most direct motivational explanation of why some people perform better than others is due to disparate performance goals, implying that setting and adjusting goals can significantly impact performance.

Initially, research into goal setting attempted to ascertain how the level of intended achievement (goal) is related to the actual level of achievement (performance) in an organizational setting (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Goal setting increases employee motivation and organizational commitment (Latham, 2004). Additionally, goals affect the intensity of our actions and our emotions. The more difficult and valued a goal is, the more intense our efforts will be in order to attain it, and the more success we experience following achievement (Latham & Locke, 2006).

Through the experience of success and the positive emotions that accompany it, confidence and belief in our own abilities grow. Schunk (1985) found that participation in goal setting encourages a search for new strategies to aid success. Finding novel ways to utilize our skills and push our abilities increases task-relevant knowledge while enhancing self-efficacy and self-confidence .

Goal setting involves planning for the future. MacLeod, Coates & Hetherton (2008) found that goal setting and skill-oriented planning significantly improved subjective wellbeing in those who took part in a goal-setting intervention program. Thinking positively about the future bolsters our ability to create goals and consider the actions required to achieve them.

The capacity to plan positively impacts our perceived control over goal outcomes and our future (Vincent, Boddana, & MacLeod, 2004). Furthermore, goal setting and achievement can promote the development of an internal locus of control.

While individuals with an external locus of control believe that both positive and negative outcomes are the result of external influences, those with an internal locus of control believe that success is determined by their own actions and skills.

1. Commitment

Commitment refers to the degree to which an individual is attached to the goal and their determination to reach it – even when faced with obstacles. Goal performance is strongest when people are committed, and even more so when said goals are difficult (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Once they’re committed, if an individual discovers their performance is inadequate, they are likely to increase their effort or change their strategy in order to attain it (Latham & Locke, 2006).

When we are less committed to goals – particularly more challenging goals – we increase the likelihood of giving up.

A number of factors can influence our commitment levels (Miner, 2005). Namely, the perceived desirability of a goal and the perceived ability of achieving it. To be successful, you must possess the desire and a comprehensive understanding of what is required to achieve your goal.

Specific goals put you on a direct course. When a goal is vague, it has limited motivational value. Goal clarity is positively related to overall motivation and satisfaction in the workplace (Arvey et al., 1976).

Set clear, precise and unambiguous goals that are implicit and can be measured. When a goal is clear in your mind, you have an improved understanding of the task at hand. You know exactly what is required and the resulting success is a further source of motivation.

3. Challenging

Goals must be challenging yet attainable. Challenging goals can improve performance through increased self-satisfaction, and the motivation to find suitable strategies to push our skills to the limit (Locke & Latham, 1990). Conversely, goals that are not within our ability level may not be achieved, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration.

We are motivated by achievement and the anticipation of achievement. If we know a goal is challenging yet believe it is within our abilities to accomplish, we are more likely to be motivated to complete a task (Zimmerman et al., 1992).

4. Task complexity

Miner (2005) suggested that overly complex tasks introduce demands that may mute goal-setting effects. Overly complex goals that lie out of our skill level may become overwhelming and negatively impact morale, productivity, and motivation.

The timescale for such goals should be realistic. Allowing sufficient time to work toward a goal allows opportunities to reassess the goal complexity, while reviewing and improving performance. Even the most motivated of people can become disillusioned if the task’s complexity is too great for their skills.

5. Feedback

Goal setting is more effective in the presence of immediate feedback (Erez, 1977). Feedback – including internal feedback – helps to determine the degree to which a goal is being met and how you are progressing.

Unambiguous feedback ensures that action can be taken if necessary. If performance falls below the standard required to achieve a goal, feedback allows us to reflect upon our ability and set new, more attainable, goals. When such feedback is delayed, we cannot evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies promptly, leading to a potential reduction in the rate of progress (Zimmerman, 2008).

When we perceive our progress towards a goal as adequate, we feel capable of learning new skills and setting more challenging future goals.

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• Setting goals and reflecting upon them improves academic success. Around 25% of students who enroll in 4-year university courses do not complete their studies – common explanations for this include a lack of clear goals and motivation. Goal-setting intervention programs have been shown to significantly improve academic performance (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, & Shore, 2010).
• Goals are good for motivation and vice versa. Most definitions of motivation incorporate goals and goal setting as an essential factor. For example, “ Motivation is the desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior .” (Kleinginna & Kleinginna, 1981).
• Goal setting is associated with achieving the optimal conditions for flow state . Setting clear goals that are both challenging yet within your skill level is a powerful contributor to finding yourself in ‘the zone’.
• An optimistic approach to goal setting can aid success. Research into goal-setting among students indicates that factors such as hope and optimism have a significant impact on how we manage our goals (Bressler, Bressler, & Bressler, 2010).
• Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to overall improved performance. Comparisons between the effect of non-specific goals such as “I will try to do my best” and specific, challenging goals suggest that people do not tend to perform well when trying to ‘do their best’. A vague goal is compatible with multiple outcomes, including those lower than one’s capabilities (Locke, 1996).
• People with high efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals and commit to them. Individuals who sustain belief in their abilities under the pressure of challenging goals tend to maintain or even increase their subsequent goals, thereby making improvements to ensuing performances. Conversely, individuals who lack this confidence have a tendency to lower their goals (making them easier to achieve) and decrease their future efforts (Locke, 1996).
• Social influences are a strong determinant in goal choice. While the impact of social influences on goal achievement may diminish with increased task-specific knowledge, social influences remain a strong determinant of goal choice (Klein, Austin & Cooper, 2008).
• Goal setting is a more powerful motivator than monetary incentives alone. Latham and Locke (1979) found goal setting to be the major mechanism by which other incentives affect motivation. Within the workplace, money was found most effective as a motivator when the rewards offered were contingent on achieving specific objectives.

The setting of clear goals is more likely to close the gap between current ability and the desired objectives. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the research related to goal setting.

Goal setting in teams

The increasing prevalence of team-based structures in the workplace encouraged research in goal setting within teams. Such research indicated structural differences between goal setting for individuals and for groups (Locke & Latham, 2013).

Kozlowski and Klein (2000) suggested that while the effectiveness of individual and team goals may look similar when considering the final outcomes, the structure of the goal-setting construct is very different.

In team-based structures, individuals must engage in interpersonal interaction and various other processes in order to accomplish the team’s goal. Kristof-Brown and Stevens (2001) examined how perceived team mastery and performance goals affected individual outcome. Their findings suggested that agreement on team performance goals elicited greater individual satisfaction and contributions, regardless of goal strength.

Goal setting in virtual teams

Within virtual teams (workgroups in which members collaborate remotely), designing interactions that encourage the setting of goals leads to the achievement of shared mental models (Powell, Piccoli, & Ives, 2004). The addition of intermediate goals in addition to final goals, and clearly articulating them, significantly improved task performance within virtual groups (Kaiser, Tuller, & McKowen, 2000).

Research by Powell, et al. (2004) suggested that virtual groups should employ someone who is responsible for sharing goal-critical information, known as a caretaker. The inclusion of a ‘caretaker’ ensures each virtual team member’s efforts are aligned with those of the group, that there is role clarity, and that each teammate’s contribution advances the team toward its goals.

Goals and academia

The setting of educational goals in academia ensures learners have an unequivocal understanding of what is expected, which in turn aids concentration on the attainment of their goals (Hattie & Timperly, 2007).

Reis and McCoach (2000) suggested that specific characteristics are commonly associated with academic underachievement. These include low motivation, low self-regulation, and low goal valuation. For children, self-regulation and motivation are affected by perceived goal and achievement values. When a goal is valued, children are more likely to engage in, expend more effort on, and perform better on the task

Further research by McCoach and Siegle (2003) found that valuing a goal was a necessary prerequisite to one’s motivation to self-regulate and to achieve in a scholastic environment. Additionally, students’ beliefs in their efficacy for self-regulated learning influenced the academic goals they set for themselves and their final academic achievement (Zimmerman, 2008).

Neurological rehabilitation

Goal setting is at the core of many neurological rehabilitation therapies. Holliday, Ballinger, & Playford (2007) explored how in-patients with neurological impairments experienced goal setting and identified the issues that underpin individual experiences of goal setting.

Their findings suggested that within rehabilitative healthcare professions, it is vital that patients understand what is expected of them in order to ensure goal setting is a meaningful activity.

Goal setting in physical therapy

Goal setting is a traditional method used within the practice of physical therapy. Cott and Finch (1991) examined the potential use of goal setting in improving and measuring physical therapy effectiveness. The study suggested that active participation by the patient in the goal-setting process is of primary importance to the attainment of goals.

That is, inclusion in the formation of goals rather than having them externally imposed is imperative.

A complete guide to goal setting – The Art of Improvement

When done correctly, goal setting is effective and often critical to success. Goals give us direction by focusing attention on goal-relevant behavior and away from irrelevant tasks (Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Miner (2005) suggested that goal setting works through three basic propositions:

• Goals energize performance through the motivation to expend the required effort in line with the difficulty of the task.
• Goals motivate people to persist in activities over time.
• Goals direct people’s attention to relevant behaviors and away from behaviors which are irrelevant or detrimental to the achievement of the task.

As previously discussed goals that are specific and challenging lead to higher levels of performance. Locke and Latham (1990) suggested that these types of goal strategies work more effectively for the following reasons:

• Specific and challenging goals are associated with higher self-efficacy (the belief in our own skills and abilities).
• They require higher performance and more effort to elicit a sense of satisfaction.
• Specific goals are less ambiguous in terms of what constitutes good performance.
• Challenging goals are more likely to result in outcomes that are valued by the individual.
• They encourage a tendency to persist with a task for longer.
• The more specific and challenging the goal is, the more attention an individual will dedicate to it, often utilizing skills that have previously gone unused.
• They motivate individuals to search for better strategies and to plan ahead.

The good news is they can be learned and developed through practice. If you cannot achieve the goals you have set, it is possible that the problem lies in one or more of these areas:

The old adage ‘ fail to plan, plan to fail ’ is applicable to successful goal achievement. Low-quality planning negatively affects performance in relation to goals (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990). Planning and organizational skills are integral to the goal achievement process. Through proper planning, we can prioritize and maintain focus on the task at hand, while avoiding extraneous distractions that can draw us away from the end goal.

Self-motivation

Without the desire to achieve, our attempts at goal setting are doomed to fail. Motivation to achieve a goal encourages us to develop new techniques and skills in order to succeed (Locke, 2001). In more challenging circumstances, the motivation to keep going is a powerful contributor to goal attainment.

Time management

Time management is a useful skill across many facets of life including goal setting. While setting goals is commonly considered being a specific time management behavior (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990), time management is also required to successfully accomplish a goal. If we do not properly consider the timescale required to attain a goal, we will inevitably fail.

Additionally, the time we allocate to planning our goals directly impacts task performance – the more time spent on the planning stage, the more likely we are to succeed (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990).

Flexibility

Inevitably, at some point, things aren’t going to go as planned. Having the flexibility to adapt to barriers, the perseverance to sustain your efforts and to carry on in the face of adversity is essential to reaching your goal.

Self-regulation

An individual needs to regulate and manage their own emotions in order to promote their own personal and social goals. With developed Emotional Intelligence comes the ability to efficiently consider and describe motivational goals, aims, and missions (Mayer, 2004).

Commitment and Focus

If we are not committed to our goals, goal setting will not work (Locke, 2001). It is imperative that goals are important and relevant on a personal level, and that we know we are capable of attaining, or at the very least making substantial progress towards, a goal.

The following outline will help focus your attention on the personal goal-setting process and guide you in the right direction for successful personal goal attainment.

Set three goals

It might be tempting to approach goal setting with gusto, and while enthusiasm is a good thing it is important not to rush into too much too soon. By limiting the number of goals you initially set there is less chance that you will become overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. Setting just a few initial goals will allow you to make a start on the journey while avoiding the negative emotions that accompany failure.

As you begin to achieve your objectives, try setting more challenging, longer-term goals to push your abilities even further. Once your goals are set, remember to review them regularly. When you begin the goal-setting process it may be beneficial to revisit your progress daily or weekly depending on the goal.

Focus on short-term goals

Initially, it is better to set short-term and more realistic goals. Setting short-term goals such as “ I will learn to make pancakes by next week ” enables more frequent opportunities to review and acknowledge the achievement of goals. More frequent experiences of success result in greater positive emotions and increased motivation to set additional goals or a combination of short, medium and long-term goals.

Make your goals positive

Reframe negative goals such as “ I want to stop eating so much junk food ” into more positive terms like “ I want to feel healthy and will change my diet in order to do so ”. With negative goals, the initial motivation often comes from a place of negativity. For example, “ I want to stop eating so much junk food because I feel unattractive. ” These negative connotations can lead to self-criticism and de-motivation.

Failure to achieve a positive goal is viewed as an indication that while we may have failed at least we are still on the right path.

1. Psychological health

Goal setting is a robust method of support for positive mental health (Rose & Smith, 2018).

When considering the goals you would like to achieve in relation to psychological health, think about what you want to change and how you want to go about changing it. Achieving goals in any aspect of life can boost self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to improvements in  confidence and wellbeing.

Janet has been thinking about her wellbeing and wants to make changes to improve her mental health. Within this area, goals such as “ I want to be happier ” are too vague and will create barriers to achievement. Janet settles on the more specific goals of “ I will do one thing every day that makes me happy ”. This is much more realistic and can easily be reviewed.

2. Relationships

Canevello and Crocker (2011) suggested that goals contribute to the cycles of responsiveness between people and improve relationship quality. Interpersonal goal setting allows us to create higher quality relationships characterized by improved responsiveness that ultimately enhance relationship quality for everyone involved.

Toby decides he wants to spend more time with his family, after thinking about how he can do this he feels that the problem may be related to the many late nights he has been spending at work. Toby decides, “ I will make sure I am home from work every night before the children go to bed ”.

While this may seem like a specific goal, there is still much ambiguity. What if he has to work late in order to meet a deadline? Both he and his children will feel disappointed and frustrated with this outcome.

After reviewing his goal, Toby makes some alterations: “ I will make sure I am home from work 2 days a week so that I can see the children before bedtime ”. By adding specifics, he has made his goal more achievable and measurable. On reviewing his goal progress, Toby might then decide to change his goal to three times per week if experience tells him this is attainable.

3. Financial

Money, or lack thereof, can massively influence our mental health and wellbeing. It is impossible to know what life will throw at you – illness, redundancy, unexpected expenditure.

In this category, like many others, short term, smaller goals are often more likely to result in success. Perhaps you have debt that you want freedom from or even just a rainy day savings fund. Whatever your financial goal, small positive steps to taking control of your finances can make a big impact.

Jenny has been thinking about her finances and decides she wants to start building her savings. Rather than setting the vague goal, “ I want to save money, ” she thinks in more detail about her objective and sets the goal “ I will save $500 in the next 8 weeks. ” By making the goal more specific and measurable, Jenny has improved the likelihood of actually achieving her goal.

The goal can now be reviewed when she decides to and it will be clear if she is on track.

In the 1980s, business coaches Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore developed the GROW goal setting model, which has become a very influential and effective coaching framework (Nguyen, 2018).

The core of the model relies on four pillars:

– Goals Setting clear goals that align with our core values is important for increasing engagement with actions that will make those goals a reality.

– Reality Being aware of our current state in relation to our goals, including what’s working well, as well as the possible barriers (e.g., excuses, fears, weaknesses), is key for making positive changes aligned with our goals.

– Options Acknowledging the possible routes for action, our own strengths, as well as our available resources (e.g., peer support) can help us use our options to get back on track when faced with obstacles.

– Way forward Motivation, commitment, and accountability towards making positive changes now are crucial in getting us started on our journey towards achieving our goals.

Many revisions of this model have been suggested since it was first developed, such as adding the “Tactics” and “Habits” components (GROWTH). However, the core model remains the same and is used across various contexts, including workplaces, couples, families, and the individual level.

This PDF : ‘ Workbook for Goal-setting and Evidence-based Strategies for Success ’ provides an abundance of exercises and worksheets to teach the reader the best practices for designing, pursuing and achieving important goals.

Compiled by Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, author of ‘ Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide ’, the 90+ page workbook provides a structured approach to guide readers towards successful goal setting.

This workbook/guide draws input from a number of areas, including work on “ flourishing ” from positive psychology founding father, Dr. Martin Seligman . It presents a thorough 6-theme process which guides readers to successful goal setting and provides an in-depth review of the underlying psychology.

Anxiety Canada’s PDF ‘ Guide for Goal Setting ’ provides a simple but effective guide on how to identify, set, and achieve realistic goals. The guide handily breaks down the process into easy-to-follow steps while prompting readers to view their future prospects in a positive light.

In brief, the guide is broken down into five steps:

• Identify your goals with a focus on being realistic and specific.
• Break down these goals into smaller steps.
• Identify potential obstacles between you and your goals.
• Build a schedule and allow adequate time to pursue goals.

The guide is a really great overview of goal-setting practices and represents a fantastic starting point if you’re keen to jump right into the practice of goal-setting.

The University of Exeter’s PDF , ‘ Goal Setting ’ for the physically impaired, was compiled by BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist, Dr. Paul Farrand and associate research fellow – Joanne Woodford. The guide focuses on goal setting for individuals facing physical health problems.

Alongside goal-setting advice, the guide contains worksheets for tracking their progress.

While some goals can be achieved relatively quickly, others take time, patience and lasting motivation to continue. The frequency with which goals should be reviewed is very much dependent on the goal itself. What is more certain is that you should plan to review your goals regularly.

If, for example, you have set yourself smaller milestones to reach on the route to your final goal, it may be prudent to review these on a weekly basis. Being aware of your progress allows opportunities to alter your actions and goals so as not to undermine the hard work you have already put in.

Perhaps things aren’t quite going as planned, regular reviews allow you to reflect on the difficulty of the goals you have set. Is the goal more challenging than you expected? What can you improve upon to attain it?

Regular goal reviews ensure the goal is still relevant – is this still what you want to achieve? If you do not ‘check in’ on your progress, you can lose sight of your ultimate aim which will result in disappointment, frustration and less motivation to attain it than when you first began your journey.

Time-based goals such as learning a new language can take months or even years to complete. When working towards these types of long term goals, it is a good idea to break them down into more manageable targets that can be reviewed weekly.

Essentially, reviewing your goals ensures that you are monitoring your progress in relation to successes and failures. It gives you the chance to analyze the good and bad, so that you can regroup, build on that knowledge, and improve future goal setting strategies.

Have you ever made a grand New Year’s resolution only to find that by the middle of January, you’ve given up or forgotten all about it? You may have set yourself a goal that was too general, ambitious, or impersonal. Incorporating healthy goal-setting techniques is an excellent way to tackle these issues.

Pick goals that are S.M.A.R.T.

The S.M.A.R.T. protocol offers a guide to help steer you towards setting goals that are suited to your abilities, timely, and measurable. If you are unsure of the goal-setting process, the S.M.A.R.T framework offers a sense-check to ensure your goals are the best they can be.

– Specific

Be as specific as possible when setting goals. Look at the what, why, where, when and how of a goal. What do I want to achieve? How will I get there? When should I have achieved this goal by?

– Measurable

Having a goal which can be quantified makes it a lot easier to track your progress.

– Achievable/Attainable

The goals we set need to be grounded in reality lest we set ourselves up for disappointment.

– Relevant

Focus more intently on the subjective ‘why’. Is the goal something you actually want to achieve, or does it stem from external pressure?

– Time-specific

Create a clear yet achievable timescale. Deadlines maximize the reward versus time component. Be explicit about the time span or deadline. For example, change ‘end of summer’ to a specific date for improved clarity.

Write down your goals

It may seem like an unnecessary additional effort, but there is value in putting pen to paper. Write down your goals and think carefully about the steps involved to get there. The very act of writing something down improves recall (Naka & Naoi, 1995), and having a physical reminder of what you want to achieve means you can check-in and review it at any time.

Put a plan into action and review it regularly

Consider the timescale in which you wish to achieve your target. If your goal is a particularly challenging one, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals that culminate in attaining your main goal.

Rather than saying “I want a promotion”, consider the smaller steps that will help get you to that goal, “In the next 4 weeks I will commit to taking on a project I haven’t tried before”. Whatever you decide, ensure it is right for you.

Keep it specific and review your progress often

How we articulate goals to ourselves is integral to the outcome of our efforts. Rather than a blanket statement, more specific goals will be much more effective. Rethink your objectives by presenting them in more specific terms, then build on that.

Reward yourself for your successes, but don’t punish yourself for failure

This doesn’t mean rewarding yourself with chocolate when you attain a healthy eating goal, rather an internal pat on the back. Acknowledge your success and revel in the positive emotions that accompany it.

It is important to be resilient in the face of adversity. Reassess your goals and make alterations when you feel it is necessary to do so.

It’s great to shoot for the stars, but goal setting is more about what you can realistically accomplish rather than an idealistic vision of what you hope you can achieve.

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To culminate this extensive guide on goal-setting, we leave you with a final list of tips and strategies.

1. Brainstorm

Consider what you want to accomplish and be specific in your goals. Really think about your core values and what outcome you are reaching for and write them down. Clear goals will ensure a comprehensive understanding of what is required in order to achieve them. Take the time to really reflect on what you want.

2. Create a ‘goal tree’

This logical thinking process tool is an excellent way to maintain focus on your goal while considering the strategy you might use to achieve it. The very top of the tree is the end goal – your mission statement. On the next level are a maximum of five objectives that are critical to attaining your main goal.

Under the objectives are the necessary conditions required to achieve each one. A goal tree is like a map to success, over time each step is color coded as it is completed, meaning that you can easily review your progress at a glance.

3. Be optimistic but realistic

If you set an unrealistic goal, it may well discourage you from continuing with your endeavor.

4. Evaluate your goals and reflect upon them

Feedback is superior to no feedback, and self-generated feedback is more powerful than externally generated feedback (Ivancevich & McMahon, 1982).

After setting your goal, feedback is the best way to assess how well you are doing. Try setting up a schedule where you can ‘check-in’ on your progress every week. Do you need to reassess and redefine your goal?

5. Intermittent reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement involves interspersing easier, more achievable goals among more challenging, difficult goals (Martin & Pear, 2019). The completion of each smaller goal becomes rewarding in and of itself, thus delivering the positive effect of success at regular intervals.

6. Tell others about your goals

When we share our goals we are more inclined to exhibit accountability and strengthened commitment. If you tell a friend about a goal you have set, how will you feel if they ask about it and you haven’t been working towards it?

7. Believe in your abilities

Believe in your abilities, but know that it’s OK if things aren’t going to plan. Reevaluating our progress and rethinking goals is all part of the process. Remember that any progress towards your goal is a good thing.

We all have the capacity to adapt and to achieve our personal expectations. Through goal setting, we raise the bar in relation to our own potential and push ourselves to achieve things we only hoped were possible.

Have you incorporated any goal-setting techniques to help you on your way to success? Or maybe you are tempted to make a start on your own plan? How are you going to turn your goal setting into goal getting? Let us know in the comments below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free .

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• Locke, E. A. (2001). Motivation by goal setting. In R. T. Golembiewski (Ed). Handbook of organizational behavior, second edition, revised and expanded . New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.
• Locke, E. (2019). Edwin Locke on are you setting effective goals ? Podcast with Professor Edwin Locke. [Audio podcast] Retrieved from https://www.michellemcquaid.com/podcast/mppw44-edwin-locke/
• Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey, American Psychologist, 57, 705–717.
• Locke, E. A. & Latham, G. P. (2013). New developments in goal setting and task performance . New York, NY: Routledge.
• Locke, E. A., Smith, K. G., Erez, M. E., Chah, D. O., & Shaffer, A. (1994). The effects of intra-individual goal conflict on performance. Journal of Management , 20, 67-91.
• Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L., & Phillips, A. P. (1990). College students’ time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of Educational Psychology , 82 (4), 760-768.
• MacLeod, A. K., Coates, E., & Hetherton, J. (2008). Increasing well-being through teaching goal-setting and planning skills: Results of a brief intervention. Journal of Happiness Studies , 9 (2), 185-196.
• Martin, G., & Pear, J. P. (2019). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it  (11th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Mayer, J. D. (2004). What is emotional intelligence? UNH Personality Lab. Retrieved from https://scholars.unh.edu/personality_lab/8
• McCoach, D. B., & Siegle, D. (2003). The School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised: A new instrument to identify academically able students who underachieve. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63 , 414-429.
• McCurdy, M., Skinner, C. H., Grantham, K., Watson, T. S., & Hindman, P. M. (2001). Increasing on-task behavior in an elementary student during mathematics seatwork by interspersing additional brief problems. School Psychology Review, 30 , 23- 32.
• Mind Statistics. (n.d.).  Money & mental health . Retrieved from https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/money-and-mental-health/#.XH-UZfn7TIV
• Miner, J. B. (2005). Organizational behaviour 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership . Oxon, UK: Routledge.
• Morisano, D., Hirsh, J. B., Peterson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., & Shore, B. M. (2010). Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals improves academic performance. Journal of Applied Psychology , 95 (2), 255-264.
• Naka, M., & Naoi, H. (1995). The effect of repeated writing on memory. Memory and Cognition, 23 , 201-212.
• Nguyen, N. S. (2018, April 2). The G.R.O.W. Model In Business Coaching – Powerfully Simple . Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.stevenguyenphd.net/the-grow-model-in-business-coaching-powerfully-simple
• Powell, A., Piccoli, G., & Ives, B. (2004). Virtual teams: a review of current literature and directions for future research. ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems , 35 (1), 6-36.
• Reis, S. M., & McCoach, D. B. (2000). The underachievement of gifted students: What do we know and where do we go? Gifted Child Quarterly, 44 , 152-170
• Rose, G., & Smith, L. (2018). Mental health recovery, goal setting and working alliance in an Australian community-managed organisation. Health Psychology Open, 5 (1), 1-9.
• Ryan, T. A. (1970). Intentional behavior . New York, NY: Ronald Press.
• Schunk, D. H. (1985). Participation in goal setting: Effects on self-efficacy and skills of learning-disabled children. The Journal of Special Education, 19 (3), 307–317.
• Seijts, G. H., & Latham, G. P. (2000). The effects of goal setting and group size on performance in a social dilemma. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 32 , 104–116
• Smith, K., Locke, E., & Barry, D. (1990). Goal setting, planning, and organizational performance: An experimental simulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 46,  118-134.
• Vincent, P. J., Boddana, P., & MacLeod, A. K. (2004). Positive life goals and plans in parasuicide. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice , 11 (2), 90-99.
• Zimmerman, B. J., Bandura, A., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1992). Self-motivation for academic attainment: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and personal goal setting. American Educational Research Journal , 29 (3), 663-676.
• Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Goal setting: A key proactive source of academic self-regulation. In D. H. Shunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds). Motivation and self-regulated learning: Theory, research, and applications . Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis.

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Thank you Elaine for a useful article on Goal Setting and achievement. As a Executive Facilitator and Coach, I have good knowledge and use of the SMART and GROW models which are well understood and used in business. Recently I have come across G. Oettingen’s WOOP model outlined in her 2014 book Rethinking Positive Thinking which is based in her extensive research and, I feel, also underpins these memorable models. She advocates that thinking about and imagining your Wish, followed by immersing yourself in your best Outcome, and then fully understanding your major Obstacle and developing a Plan to overcome, prevent and seize opportunities to achieve. At an individual level, WOOP can increase motivation and energy to make personal dreams happen. These together with the other points raised in the article can give a fully rounded support for us all to fully focus on making our dreams and goals happen.

Nice artixle.keep up the good work.thanks

Really useful

Very useful and informative for research work

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3 Goal Achievement Exercises Pack

Define Goals for Your Presentations – Here’s How to Succeed Every Time!

The way it often goes is that you start with a great idea, and eagerly start to work towards realizing it.  Your goal seems clear!  Then as you go along, more goals start to sprout . 

New ideas and new goals can quickly crowd out your original clarity, and as your thoughts are a mess, the whole project falls apart. To avoid this, it’s absolutely essential that that you define goals as soon as possible.

Why is defining goals so important?   

Goals are totally necessary to success in any situation. Having a fixed goal in mind helps to focus and realize your wishes and ideas, and also helps to measure how close you are to that goal.

Goals also serve as an incentive; when achieved, they boost self-confidence. Without goals, people can become aimless and waste a lot of energy. Whatever the goal is, (e.g. getting a raise, saving enough money for a vacation, completing a qualification) – achieving those goals makes us feel happy and confident.

The Importance of Goals in PowerPoint Presentations

Goal setting is also important in the context of PowerPoint presentations. This is because when you put a presentation together, there is an intention behind that presentation, whether it’s sales-oriented or purely informative. What is the purpose of your presentation? Why do you want to talk about a certain topic? Learning to define concrete objectives helps you create a really effective presentation around your goal.

Goals are also beneficial in these areas within presentations:

• Goals as a guide for the presentation process

Goals serve as a guide in the planning and creation of a PowerPoint presentation . They help structure the entire presentation process and ensure that all content, slides, and arguments align with the desired goals.

By defining clear goals, you can better plan the flow of the presentation and ensure that all relevant information is covered.

For more tips on how to prepare your presentations properly, you can also refer to the article “ Preparing Presentations: 11 Tips “.

• Goals to enhance clarity and effectiveness of your presentation

Defining goals significantly contributes to the clarity and effectiveness of your PowerPoint presentation . When you know exactly what goal you want to achieve with the presentation, you can select and present the content more purposefully.

Goals help avoid irrelevant information and focus on the essentials. This makes the presentation clearer and more concise , facilitating your audience’s understanding and absorption of the message.

• Goals as a guide for your audience

Goals also serve as a guide for the audience. When the audience is aware of the presentation’s goals, they can better understand what is expected and which information is relevant.

Goals help the audience recognize the underlying structure of the presentation and process the information more effectively. By defining clear goals, you ensure that your audience perceives the presentation as relevant and valuable and actively engages with it.

Bring Order into Chaos

You need to get clear and keep in mind why you want to give your presentation and what you want to achieve with it . A structured plan will help you to get chaotic thoughts in order. The ideal way of doing this is to use the SMART method . This article will go through what it entails and how to use it to set effective goals for your presentations.

Here are the steps to define your goals in PowerPoint presentations:

• Analyze the presentation context

The first step is to thoroughly analyze the presentation context . This includes considering the audience, occasion, time frame, and expectations of the presentation. Having a clear understanding of the context allows you to define goals that are appropriate and tailor the content and presentation style accordingly .

It is important to have a basic understanding of your target audience to adapt the presentation to them and choose goals accordingly. Read more in the article “ Target Audience Analysis”.

• Identify the main message

It is important to identify the main message of the presentation. What is the central statement or primary goal that needs to be conveyed? By establishing a clear main message, the presentation becomes focused and concise.

Learn how to identify, define, and communicate your main message in the article “ Developing Key Messages for Presentations “.

• Set specific goals

Building upon the main message, you can define specific goals. These goals should be clear, measurable, and realistic.

For example, a goal could be to convey specific information, promote certain behavior, or elicit a particular response from the audience. The goals should be aligned with effectively communicating the main message.

• Assess goal attainment possibilities

Before finalizing the goals, it is important to assess the possibilities of achieving them . Consider the available resources, time, and the presenter’s skills. It is important to set realistic goals that are achievable and do not exceed the scope of the presentation.

By carefully following these steps, a clear goal definition can be achieved in PowerPoint presentations, supporting the success of the presentation and achieving the desired impact.

Define Goals Optimally with Information Questions

Before we go into more detail about the principle of SMART goals, it’s useful to revisit some basic tips on the subject of goal definition. To be able to grow both professionally and personally, we need goals that help us to make progress. The same applies to companies: it is essential to define goals and to realize visions in order to grow.

Who is giving the presentation?

Even setting a goal can be a challenge. Setting a goal that is too high to reach, or too low to ensure progress, is counterproductive. A good way to help define goals is to ask information questions. When preparing a presentation, it’s really useful to ask yourself the following:

What topic are you covering?

Why this topic, exactly? What in particular do you have to say about it?

What does your audience expect from you?

How will you convey your key messages? How do you want your presentation to look; how can you optimize your slide design to help?

When are you going to give your presentation? Do you have enough time to prepare?

Where will your presentation be taking place? Does it have suitable equipment, such as a projector and screen?

Defining Goals with the SMART Formula

As mentioned above, the SMART method offers a solidly useful way to define goals.

SMART is an acronym for the following terms:

S – Specific : Formulate your goals precisely so that you know exactly what you want to achieve.

M – Measurable: Define clear criteria to measure your goals.

A – Attainable: Make sure your goals are achievable and can be practically implemented.

R – Relevant : Make sure your goals align with your overall vision.

T – Time-bound: Set a deadline for yourself.

Here’s an example of how to apply the SMART method in practice. We’re going to use the goal of “more Facebook fans”, which can obviously also be applied many other things.

1. The specific goal is to reach 50,000 fans.

2. This is measurable as Facebook counts your fans for you.

3. Since you already have 45,000 fans, this is a goal that is achievable. Sufficient funds and time are available for acquiring the additional 5,000.

4. This would benefit your company, since more fans ensure higher traffic.

5. This is scheduled and should be achieved by the end of the year.

SMART Method PowerPoint Templates

In order to help you define your goals as effectively as possible, we offer numerous templates around the topic of Smart working. These can help you to design a PowerPoint presentation around your goal easily and optimally. Our Smart Goals PowerPoint template slide set offers practical working aids, explanations and overviews around the Smart method, and checklists for defining goals and creating presentations.

WOOP – an Alternative to the SMART Method

Like the SMART method, the WOOP method, is an acronym intended as a tool for defining and achieving goals. The method was developed by Professor of Psychology Gabriele Oettingen. The individual letters stand for the following terms :

W – Wish: The starting point is defining what you want to achieve.

O – Outcome: The next step is to visualize the result. What will change if you implement your wish? Will your business be positively changed by the goal? Does thinking about this step fill you with the energy needed to implement it?

O – Obstacle : What are the obstacles that might prevent you from reaching that goal? This is when you identify and and all reasons that may keep you from achieving your goal.

P – Plan : Plan how you will break down these barriers and work consistently toward your goal.

Conclusion: Define Your Goals and Achieve Success!

We hope the above article, setting out really effective means such as the SMART method for defining goals, will mean you are optimally equipped for your next presentation. Get your next presentation in order with a structured plan, and persuade your audience without any difficulty.

If you have any questions about the SMART method and define goals, or about PowerPoint presentations in general, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] .

Other articles which may be of interest to you:

• Use Handouts to Enhance Your Presentations
• The best presentation structure: tips&tricks
• Create a PowerPoint Presentation: helpful tips

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Top 10 Smart Goal Templates with Samples and Examples

Samradni Pradhan

Setting personal or professional objectives is an essential step in achieving success. However, merely establishing the goal is insufficient; it must be framed in such a way that it is feasible. This is when SMART goals come into play, and individuals and organizations can set effective, well-defined, and easily trackable objectives by utilizing our SMART goal templates. SMART goals are Specific , Measurable , Achievable , Relevant , and Time-bound. In this blog post, we will analyze the Top 10 SMART Goal Templates, including samples and examples, and the PowerPoint Templates to assist you in creating your own SMART objectives.

Additionally, if you want to explore some marketing goals templates, you can check them out  here ! 

Template 1: Importance Of SMART Goals Training PPT

This is an essential tool for any organization looking to improve its goal-setting process. This PPT Template is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the SMART goal-setting framework. With this template, you can create engaging and informative presentations that will help your team understand the importance of setting such realistic goals. So, add this template to your list today!

Download Now

Template 2: Market Development Strategy with Smart Goals Approach

Introducing an indispensable resource for businesses looking to achieve sustainable growth and gain a competitive advantage. This PPT Template is designed to provide a step-by-step approach to developing a market development strategy that incorporates SMART goals. With this PPT Slide, you can create compelling and informative presentations that will guide your team through the process of identifying new market opportunities, setting achievable goals, and developing an effective strategy to achieve them. Grab this template today!

Template 3: Define Smart Goals and Objectives Managing Cross-Functional Teams

Here is an invaluable tool for any manager or team leader looking to improve their team's performance. This PPT Theme is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the SMART goal-setting framework. The template includes customizable slides with eye-catching graphics and icons to help you convey your message effectively. Using this template, you can empower your team to set SMART goals that will lead to greater success and productivity while promoting collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. Download this template today!

Template 4: Strategy Execution in Finance Department for SMART Goal Achievement Strategic Management Guide

Introducing an essential tool for finance departments, looking to achieve their strategic goals. This template is designed to provide a step-by-step approach to developing and executing a finance department strategy that incorporates SMART goals. By using this PPT Preset, you can ensure that your finance department achieves its goals and contributes to the overall success of your organization. Download this template right away!

Template 5: Strategy Execution in Human Resource Department for SMART Goal Strategic Management Guide

Introducing a must-have tool for HR departments aiming to achieve their strategic objectives. This template is tailored to provide HR managers with a comprehensive approach to setting SMART goals. With this Slide, you can create engaging presentations that will help your team understand the significance of setting SMART goals and guide them through the process of developing a successful HR strategy. You can ensure your HR department attains its objectives and contributes to the overall success of your organization. Grab this template today!

Template 6: Strategy Execution in Marketing Department for SMART Goal Achievement Strategic Management Guide

Introducing the all-in-one solution for marketing departments striving to attain their strategic goals. The marketing department is required to set goals on a monthly basis, given the campaign and product releases. Using this template ensures your marketing department manages its goal achievement and propels your organization to greater success. The template is visually appealing and easy to comprehend. It is the perfect addition to your template slides; download it now!

Template 7: Strategy Execution in Production Department for SMART Goal Achievement Strategic Management Guide

This template is the perfect tool for organizations seeking to achieve their production department's goals. This comprehensive guide provides a step-by-step approach to strategic planning, execution, and monitoring; all centered around the SMART goal framework. With a clear and concise format, this PPT Slide will help teams in the production department identify key objectives, prioritize tasks, and track progress toward achieving their goals. Do not wait for any further, and download this template right away!

Template 8: Establishing Smart Goals to Ensure Business Growth Strategic Management Guide

Introducing the ultimate tool for businesses looking to achieve sustainable growth. This guide takes a comprehensive approach to strategic planning and execution while focusing on the SMART goal framework. With a clean, clear, and modern design, this template helps teams set achievable objectives, prioritize tasks, and track progress toward their goals. The customizable slides, charts, and diagrams included making communicating your strategy effectively to stakeholders easy. This guide is a must-have for businesses seeking to establish SMART goals that drive growth and success and stay ahead of the competition. Grab this template today!

Template 9: One-page Smart Goal for Organization Presentation Report Infographic 

Here is an innovative and practical tool for businesses to communicate their objectives in a clear and concise manner. This PPT Layout features a visually stunning and customizable infographic that simplifies the goal-setting process, making it easy to set, monitor, and achieve SMART goals. The one-page format of this document ensures that stakeholders can easily understand the organization's goals and strategic priorities. Whether you're presenting to clients, investors, or internal teams, this template is the perfect solution for businesses looking to streamline their strategic communication and achieve success.

Template 10: Smart Goals Strategy for Achieving Execution Excellence

Looking for a smart, savvy way to execute your strategic goals? Look no further than this template! With a funky and fresh design, this template is perfect for businesses looking to inject some fun into their strategic planning process. Featuring customizable charts, and diagrams, this template helps teams set clear objectives and monitor progress toward achieving them, all within the framework of SMART goals. With this guide, your team will be equipped with the tools they need to achieve execution excellence and drive success in a creative and unique way.

Template 11: Get a Well-Action Plan with Smart Goal Setting

Ready to bounce back and take your business to the next level? Look no further than this template! With a playful and engaging design, this PPT Set provides a step-by-step approach to setting and achieving SMART goals that will propel your business forward. Whether you're recovering from a setback or looking to improve your business's overall performance, this template provides the tools you need to set clear objectives, prioritize tasks, and track progress toward achieving your goals. Go ahead and download this template today!

Template 12: Smart Goal and Action Planning Sheet

Looking for a practical and effective way to achieve your goals? Maybe this template is just what you are looking for. With a simple and professional design, this template simplifies the goal-setting process by providing a clear framework for setting SMART objectives and identifying actionable steps to achieve them. With this template, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to streamline your planning process, stay organized, and achieve success. Add this template to your cart today!

EXPLORE THESE SMART GOAL TEMPLATES TODAY!

Goal setting is an important task for an individual or an organization as a whole. However, it is important not to set goals that cannot be further tracked. This is where the need to have SMART goals comes in. Utilize these templates to create a list of your SMART goals today!

Download these premium PPT Slides through our monthly, semi-annual, annual, annual + custom design subscriptions  here .

In conclusion, defining Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals is a critical step toward success in any endeavor. Individuals and organizations can use SMART goal templates to set clear, succinct, and actionable goals that are well-defined and easy to track progress towards. The Top 10 SMART Goal Templates presented in this article, together with supporting samples and examples, provide various solutions to meet various needs and goals. Individuals and organizations can improve their chances of meeting their goals and objectives in a timely and effective manner by using these templates.

FAQs on Smart Goals

What are the five smart goals.

A: SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and Time-bound. It is a framework used to create goals that are realistic in order to achieve them effectively. SMART goals are often used for goal setting, performance management, and personal development to help people achieve their set objectives.

What are some examples of a SMART goal?

A: SMART goals have to be relevant and aligned with broader objectives yet be minutely specific. Let's see some examples of SMART goals.

• Specific- Specific goals could be something like, "I want to finish two books this month by reading a minimum of 50 pages in the morning and before sleeping."
• Measurable- Measurable goals are when you specify the progress by exact numbers, for say, "I want to improve my grade percentage by 10%, from current 75% to 85%, by focusing on my weaker subjects."
• Achievable- When you break down your goal set to execute it easily and eventually achieve it. For example, & I want to learn a new language by the end of the year by taking a weekly language class, practicing daily, and using language learning apps.
• Relevant- Something that is accessible to you. For example, I want to improve my public speaking skills by attending a public speaking workshop and practicing my skills in front of a live audience, which will help me advance in my career.
• Time-bound- A goal that you want to make successful by working on over time. Like, "I want to publish my new magazine within the next three months by writing, editing, and compiling it."

What are the five basic steps of the SMART goal?

A: The five steps of the SMART goals are:

• Defining the goal with specific details about your goal and why it's important.
• Establishing clear criteria to track the progress of a goal.
• Evaluating the available resources, capabilities, time, cost, and skill to decide whether the goal is feasible or not.
• The question is whether the goal truly matters to you and whether it is worthwhile in your life or career.
• Setting a specific deadline to achieve the goal.

How do I write a SMART goal?

A: You can write a SMART goal for yourself by following these simple steps.

• Identifying and prioritizing the "want to achieve this goal."
• Making a measuring unit to track the progress, like regular tick-marks on calendars.
• Finding time in your schedule so that it becomes more achievable.
• Trying a way to implement the learned or achieving the goal in your normal schedule to test its relevancy.
• Giving yourself a bound time period for achieving it.

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Goal Setting to Improve your life: Strategies, Effort, Optimize, Tinker.

Goal Setting for Students: PowerPoint, Lesson Plan, and Worksheets

GOAL SETTING for STUDENTS UPDATE May 30, 2021: My personal goal is to make a living online. So far, I’ve made over $23,821 using this SEOT goal setting process.

Will this SMART goal process work for you? Maybe. Maybe not. Watch this video to find out why.

Goal setting and goal reflection are skills we need to directly teach to our students.

It doesn’t matter if you’re working with elementary students, middle school students, or high school students. These are life skills that we can work on at any age.

Here is the complete SMART Goal Setting for students slideshow.

• Teach elementary, middle school, and high school students HOW to work smarter, not harder.
• It’s “The Ultimate Guide to Achieving your Goals and Dreams.”

FREE Goal Setting for students slideshow:

(includes goal reflection).

Teachers, this is a view-only version of the slideshow.

If you would like your own copy of the slideshow (Microsoft Powerpoint, Google Slides), as well as the handouts (PDF, Microsoft Word, Google Docs), please click here .

Free Goal Setting Powerpoint For Students (Table of Contents)

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving your Goals and Dreams

• What is a goal?

Part 1: Choose a Goal

• let’s brainstorm some goals
• the big list of goals

Part 2: Why?

Why do we want these wishes to come true?

• The big list of reasons to keep going
• Write down your goal

Part 3: Making SMART goals

Part 4: How do you Achieve your SMART Goal?

• you need a new game plan to achieve your goals

SEOT is the idea that you can reach your goals

Strategies, effort, optimize, and tinker are just words…, something happens when students get older, yup. it is hard work..

• What does strategy mean?

What does effort mean?

What does optimize mean, what does tinker mean.

• Now what – that’s up to you…

Part 5: Check-In on your Goals

What’s happening in this picture?

• What’s a Check-In?

Part 6: The Goal Setting Wheel of Success

• A metaphor for life and reaching your goals

Part 7: What Does Work Smarter Actually Mean?

• Use strategies
• Optimize what you’re doing
• Tinker a little bit
• So what’s the difference between Work Smarter and Work Harder?

Did you like this Goal Setting and Goal Reflection PowerPoint for students?

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving your Goals and Dreams.

You know how people say, “work smarter, not harder!” Well, this guide will teach you how to work smarter.

• Happy new year! Or…
• Happy first day of school! Or…
• Happy whatever!

Warning: work still required.

Today, we’re going to be talking about …

• New Year Resolutions!
• Or, improving your marks from last time! Or
• Goal setting ! (Pssst. You can set goals whenever you want, but some people like to do at certain times of the year…)

What is a goal? (No, seriously!)

Goals can be possibilities, dreams, objectives, life upgrades, power ups , completed missions… That we haven’t done, yet.

Goal Setting for Students – Part 1: Choose a Goal

What do you know about goals? (Or, what do we think we know about goals?) Goals can be:

• Big or small
• achieved quickly, or take a long time
• academic, social, personal, professional
• goals we set up for ourselves, or
• goals that other people set up for us.

Let’s brainstorm some goals

• could do, or
• want to do.

Your goals can be…

• School goals,
• personal goals, or
• other goals.

Use the goal brainstorming chart to think about possible goals.

The big list of goals

As a class, make a big list of goals. We’ll use this list later on :

• You can choose a goal from this list (or your own list.)
• Or, you can modify a goal from this list.
• Or, you can come up with a brand-new goal.

Goal Setting for Students – Part 2: Why?

Imagine I had a magic lamp. Choose one of your goals to become reality. But, there are rules:

• The genie will grant you only one wish.
• Your wish has to come from the class list of goals.

Which goal would you choose?

Why did you choose that goal over all of the other options?

Of course, I don’t have a magic lamp. But, don’t let that stop you from making your wish happen yourself! (Why do you really want that wish?)

Think about the following two quotes:

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” (Proverb)

“I dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” (Harvey Mackay)

The big list of reasons to keep going…

Make a big class list of reasons why people want their wish to come true. You’ll need this motivation when the going gets tough.

Write down your goal.

Now it’s time for students to write down one goal on the handout. Remember to keep it simple. What’s the big goal? For example,

• Make the football team
• get a better grade in math
• make new friends

Circle whether it’s something you…

Goal Setting for Students – Part 3: Make a SMART Goal

Let’s make a smart goal

• Action based
• Reasonable (based on the resources I currently have)

At the top of the handout, write down what should you do, or what do you want. This is your big goal.

Your thinking goes in the middle of the table.

At the bottom of the handout, summarize your smart goal in one sentence.

Bonus question: what’s the problem/obstacle that your goal will overcome?

W00t, you have a smart goal!…

Goal Setting for Students – Part 4: How do you Achieve your SMART Goal?

We need to move beyond the “make a goal” phase… Does this sound familiar?

• People make New Year’s resolutions
• and then forget about them
• until they have to think about New Year’s resolutions at the end of the year
• just in time to make a New Year’s resolution for the next year…

You need a new game plan to achieve your goals

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

• Use Strategies ,
• put in a solid Effort ,
• Optimize what you do, and

Then, eventually, you will succeed and reach your goal!

But it gives us a framework and graphic organizer to get us thinking and talking about how to reach our goals. It gives us a common language to try to achieve our dreams and overcome obstacles.

Babies don’t think about SEOT when they try to learn how to crawl

But they try different strategies :

• Using their arms,
• trying to push up,
• holding onto tables, and
• shifting their weight in different ways

They put in a lot of effort :

• They really want something
• the big people in their lives just don’t understand
• so, they need to figure out how to get it themselves…

They figure out what works best, and they do more of that ( optimize ):

• Maybe scooting works best…
• Maybe holding the table works best…
• Maybe leaning forward works best…

Babies play around and try different techniques until they finally figure out how to crawl:

• They test out gravity,
• they wobble around with their balance, and
• they pick themselves up when they fall.

Students start saying things like:

• I tried. It didn’t work.
• Okay. Just tell me what to do.
• I’m bored. This is boring.
• Why do I have to do this?
• I don’t want people to laugh at me.
• It’s not fair.
• This is too hard.
• I don’t know what to do.
• Meh. I don’t care.
• But it’s not supposed to be like that.
• I’ll probably just fail, so why bother.
• I’ll get my parents to do it for me.
• If I try and it doesn’t work, I’ll look bad, so I just won’t try.
• I don’t want to make a mistake.

It’s too hard. I give up.

Which of the following ideas do you agree with the most?

Idea number one:

Nothing in life worth having comes easy. Theodore Roosevelt

Idea number two:

Mike Fuchigami

Idea number three:

You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. Babe Ruth

How students can use SEOT to reach their goals

Get the handout. Think about your smart goal. Let’s go through each category and write down a few ideas about how we can reach our goal.

What does Strategy mean?

Strategy is a plan of action, a game plan, and tactics.

Strategies are tricks and life hacks to help us do things. For example:

• if I have to bring something to school tomorrow, one strategy is to put it by the door so I see it before I leave…
• A good test taking strategy is to look at all of the questions before you start because sometimes clues are hidden in the questions.

Let’s start to fill out our graphic organizer.

• What tricks or things could you do to reach your SMART goal?
• Where could you get more strategies?

Write down some ideas.

Effort is when we try. It’s strenuous physical or mental work. It requires power. It’s a strain.

The hardest part of effort is not giving up when he gets hard…

Think about the Genie activity. Why do you want this goal? How will it make your life better (eventually)?

What are some tricks and strategies that you can use to stay motivated? For example: if you find running hard, may be run with a friend so it’s more fun.

What does effort look like?

What would it look like if you were actually trying hard to reach your SMART goal.

Visualize it

Write down words, pictures or numbers to show effort looks like.

Optimize means to make the best use of the situation, opportunity, or resource. It’s about being the most effective when you do things. Optimizing is about improving efficiency.

Look at this picture of Bloom’s taxonomy. At the bottom of the pyramid is low level thinking. Your brain has to do a lot of high-powered thinking to do activities at the top of this pyramid.

Here’s how students can optimize what they do:

• Tell us what she did and what the results were. (Remember)
• Explain why your actions produce these results. (Understand)
• Test out different strategies and see if you can make connections between your results. (Analyze)
• Evaluate which action gets the best results. Justify your decision. (Evaluate)
• Based on what you learn from your successes and mistakes, create a better way to get better results. (Create)

What does optimize mean for your goal?

What can you measure account to see if you’re improving?

What would be a better way to reach her smart goal?

Tinker means to attempt to repair or improve something. Tinkering is done really casually. It often produces nothing useful.

Tinkering is casual because we’re just trying little things to see what happens. Kind of like when we play in kindergarten and make our own little discoveries about the world.

Even though tinkering often leads to nothing special, you should know that sometimes, you might discover something by accident and if you explore a little more… It could be world changing. Here are three examples of things discovered by accident:

• chocolate chip cookies
• Post-it notes

What does Tinker mean for your goalsetting?

Think about your smart goal.

Be curious. Failure is a good thing when we tinker because we’re just exploring.

What do you wonder about your goal? Write it down.

You have a goal. Something you should do or something you could do or something you want to do.

You have a smart goal. Something that is specific, measurable, action-based, reasonable, and time bound .

And, you have reasons why you want your goal to come true.

You have strategies to try.

You know what effort will look like if you actually tried to achieve this goal.

You’re going to pay attention to what you do and how it’s going so you can optimize what you do.

And, you’ve got some ideas to tinker around with and some things are wondering about your topic.

Here’s the key to your success.

Goal Setting for Students – Part 5: Check In.

Teaching Tip: We suggest that this part of the goalsetting lesson for students take place a week after the students have set up their goals and the reasons for their goals, and how to achieve their goals.

What’s a check in?

A check-in is a chance to check and see if we’re going the right way. (Or, if were lost.)

Let’s check in now to see how we’re doing on our goal.

• Get a handout.
• Think about what you’ve done to work towards your goal.
• Write down some notes about what happened.

Although you can start in any box, for right now let’s do this together and go through the categories one by one.

Goalsetting check-in: strategies

• How did you try to reach your goal?
• What did you do?
• How did it go?
• Write down some ideas…

Goalsetting check-in: effort

• How hard did you try?
• How did it feel?
• How did you motivate yourself?
• If you stop, that’s okay, but why did you stop?

Goalsetting check-in: optimize

• What did you measure or keep track of?
• Are things getting better? Worse? Staying the same?
• How might you get better results?

Student Goalsetting checking: Tinker

• What little experiments did you try?
• What did you learn from experiments that worked? Or didn’t work?
• What might a curious person wonder?

Goal Reflection time: how did we do?

Let’s go through each category and see how he did. We’re still learning, so it’s fine if we’re not awesome, yet…

Get a copy of the reflection guide. Let’s go through the guide together and see how we did…

Student Goal Setting Reflection: Strategies

• I thought a lot about how I could reach my goal, and then I tried a few things and thought about why they might work. (Awesome)
• I thought about how I could reach my goal, and then tried a few things. (Good)
• I just did it… And then I thought about how I did it. (Ok.)
• I just did it without really thinking about it, you know? (Umm.)

Student Goal Setting Reflection: Effort

• I tried a lot. It was actually hard work, but I found a reason to keep going, or I found a way to make it fun! (Awesome)
• I tried a lot. It was actually hard work. (Good)
• I tried, I guess. (Ok.)
• Oops. I didn’t really try. (Ummm…)

Student Goal Setting Reflection: Optimize

• I track how things are going. I know what works and doesn’t work (and why.) I do more of what’s working to get better. (Awesome)
• I keep track of how things are going, and I try different things to get better results. (Good)
• I keep track of how things are going, but I haven’t really thought about it. (Okay)
• I’m not really keeping track of anything. (Ummm…)

Student Goal Setting Reflection: Tinker

• I did little experiments. I thought about why the results might come out that way. I thought of new ways to explore my ideas. (Awesome)
• I did little experiments. I thought about why the results might come out that way. (Good)
• I did little experiments. (Okay)
• I didn’t do little experiments. (Ummm…)

Goal Setting for Students – Part 6: The Wheel of Success

Look at your check-in handout. You should have ideas written down in each box, and a face circled or checked off in each box.

Let’s see how we did!

• Get the handout
• Each category is on a different axis. Notice how the neutral faces start at the black circle in the centre . The faces get happier as you move down the axis, away from the centre .

Check off the happy face on each axis. This means, draw a little line on each axis for your own score. Do this for:

• the strategies axis on the left,
• the effort axis on the top,
• the optimize axis on the bottom, and
• the tinker axis on the right.

Look at the goal setting powerpoint for students at the top of this page, or the image below if you’re a little confused:

Now, draw curved line, and connect all the little lines you made on the axes.

Colour in the circle or oval that you get.

If this was a wheel on a car, how bumpy with the ride be? How fast could your car go ? Can you even get to your destination with that wheel?

The wheel of success is a metaphor for life, and reaching your goals.

• Think a lot about how you could reach your goal,
• try different strategies,
• figure out why those strategies might work…
• Put in the effort,
• it’s hard work, but you find a reason to keep going,
• or, you find a way to make the process fun…

If you…

• Keep track of how things are going, and
• focus your energies on strategies that produce results…
• Try little experiments, and
• learn from your successes and your mistakes, and

Then you’re on track to reach your goals.

• You may not reach your goals right away.
• It may take days, weeks, months, or years!
• It all depends on how far away your goal is.

Goal Setting PowerPoint for Students – Part 7: What Does Work Smarter Actually Mean?

The wheel of success as a metaphor for life

• If you have ineffective strategies,
• and don’t pay attention to how things are going,
• and don’t try new little ways to do things

Even if you try really hard, you may not be able to get to your goal.

And then people say, “work smarter, not harder…”

What does work smarter, not harder even mean

How to work smarter: use strategies..

Trying harder isn’t always enough. Work smarter means:

• Think about the goal
• Think about the underlying problem.
• Try different strategies to get there.

A wheel of success with a lot of effort, and a lot of strategies might eventually get you to your goal. But, what do you do if you’re using strategies and working hard, and things aren’t working as well as you wanted?

Then people say, “work smarter, not harder!”

How to work smarter: optimize what you’re doing.

Working smarter also means thinking about which strategies are most effective in focusing on those strategies.

A wheel of success with a lot of effort, a lot of strategies, and a lot of optimizing might get you to your destination…

But, sometimes,

• We try really hard,
• we use lots of different strategies,
• we pay attention to our results, and we optimize what we’re doing and use best practices to give us the best chance of succeeding.

And, we still haven’t reached our goal. Yet.

How to work smarter: Tinker a little bit

Working smarter also means frying little experiments, exploring ideas, failing, and learning from those non-successes.

Tinkering around might help you discover something useful.

A wheel of success with a lot of effort, lots of strategies, optimizing what you do to focus on the best strategies, and tinkering around to explore more about your topic – this wheel might get you to your goal… But remember, even though you might be doing everything right, some things take time.

So, what’s the difference between work smarter and work harder?

If we use our wheel of success graphic organizer,

This is what work harder looks like:

• Lots of effort.

This is what “work harder” looks like:

• Using different ways/strategies
• focusing on the strategies that produce the best results
• trying little experiments and learning from the failures,
• and of course, don’t give up!

Now go work smarter, and not harder!

Want to customize the Goal Powerpoint?

Want to download the full worksheet goal ppt.

If you would like to download the worksheet goal ppt handouts (Microsoft Word or PDF), teacher lesson plan (PDF), or get your own copy of the goal powerpoint that you can edit and modify in Microsoft Powerpoint (.pptx) or Google Slides format, please visit  SEOT.ca/package  for more information.

Download the Goal Setting for Students powerpoint here

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• Section 9.1, Goals for Public Consumption

Goal Setting Presentation Do's and Don'ts

Section 9.1: goals for public consumption.

Goal setting presentations are consistently made by company execs, team leaders and business owners. Individuals, however, are often hesitant to share their goals with friends and family members - and for good reason. In the following information, you'll learn how to best communicate your goals to the world.

Download Free: Goal Setting for Success eBook

From the standpoint of a business leader, it is critical to make goal setting presentations to every level of the organization.

Leadership by definition is all about positively influencing the actions of others for the purpose of achieving goals and objectives. Therefore, a leader's ability to communicate the goals of the organization in a way that motivates and inspires team members is imperative to the success of the business. 

The goal setting presentation should include why certain goals are set; how key targets were determined; how the business will contribute and support team members in their efforts to meet or exceed the desired goals, and what's in it for the company and the individual team member once goals are successfully achieved. 

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin

A key benefit of making goal setting presentations is that it gives the leader the opportunity to meet with every level of the organization and interact directly with the workforce. 

Your people need to see and interact with you face-to-face on a regular basis. As the leader, it's to your benefit to invest this time with your people - answering their questions, recognizing them for their past successes and working to gain buy-in to the goals that need to be achieved over the following year.

Your goal setting presentation is the perfect opportunity to earn credibility as a leader and to re-energize and motivate the most important asset of your organization - human capital - your people. 

What About Making an Individual Goal Setting Presentation?

Quite different than communicating business goals, some of your individual goals may be very personal in nature and you will want to keep those objectives to yourself.

When goals are quite personal in nature, you are wise to only disclose that information to people who very close to you; preferably only those who you know and trust completely.

As a common rule to goal setting, it is usually a good idea to share your goals with the outside world. You can strengthen your commitment to success when you tell others that you are committed to a particular goal because it can strengthen your resolve to follow though.

When you make your goals public, you gain leverage to do that which you have said you will do.

Sharing your goals in a public way, is a courageous act to be sure. It's a way for you to burn the bridges of possible retreat.

However, you should avoid sharing your goals with anyone who tends to be pessimistic or unsupportive; anyone who will balk at your dreams of success. You simply don't need to hear their negativity so there is no benefit to sharing your goals with anyone of this nature.

Although there can be risk associated with the public sharing of your personal goals, there are far more benefits to proclaiming your goals more broadly. The key to success is to be thoughtful in which goals to share openly and with whom. 

"There is nothing so important in your life as your mental attitude towards yourself; what you think of yourself; the model which you hold of yourself and your possibilities."

- O.S. Marden

Success Lesson #19: Burn Your Bridges Behind You

When Julius Caesar landed his army in England, he was determined to take no chances of possible retreat. He wanted to show his men that their invasion meant victory or certain death, and he burned all his ships before their eyes.

Like Napoleon, he had the power of final decision which sacrificed every conflicting plan in an instant.

"One man or woman with courage, makes a majority."

- Andrew Jackson

Leaders must exhibit the same kind of courage when preparing and communicating their goal setting presentation to their workforce. When you communicate your plans to the world, people should have no doubt that you are serious and committed to the task.

A fitting epitaph for millions of people who have given up too early in the fight for their dreams would read, "Turned back for lack of grit in the hour of discouragement."

People often make the mistake, when they start on an important undertaking, of leaving open a way of retreat if things get too hard.

No one can call upon his greatest reserves and do the greatest things possible while he knows full well that if the battle gets too difficult he has a quick line of retreat.

There is a powerful benefit in burning all bridges behind you, in committing yourself so thoroughly to your calling that no discouragement or obstacle can tempt you to turn back.

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Explain your goals and objectives or how to achieve them with these infographics! Tell your audience about what you want to achieve to get new clients, measure your success and encourage your team using these diagrams. Some of them look like mountains, bullseyes, tables, roadmaps, stairs, tables…

Features of these infographics

• Discover your own objectives using timelines, bullseyes and the different charts that we include in this template
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• 31 different infographics to boost your presentations
• Include icons and Flaticon’s extension for further customization
• Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Include information about how to edit and customize your infographics

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Goal Templates for PowerPoint & Slides for Presentations

Goal Templates for PowerPoint provide slide layouts that can help you create presentations for projecting goals, laying out options before a set of audience and to create presentations on topics like motivation, success, business, etc. Our 100% editable and visually appealing target and goals slides for presentations can help you to make presentations on strategic planning, organizational objectives, business presentations and roadmaps.

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Goals PowerPoint slides are crafted to simplify the process of presenting either personal, business or project goals. Each template is made in a structured format that allows presenters to outline the goals, introduce the strategies to achieve them, and discuss the metrics for measuring success. Thanks to this, PowerPoint goals templates are not only informative but also easy-to-understand, which motivates teams to strive for success.

By using pre-designed goals PowerPoint templates, complex projects can be tackled as a series of goals that the team oughts to achieve. This helps to focus on strategy, reducing the need to spend countless hours on graphics and slide design to guarantee the attendees engage with the presentation. These slide decks are consistent in terms of aesthetics, meaning you will end up with a professional-looking presentation deck in just minutes.

You can present various aspects of your argument and available paths before an audience with the help of timeline slides, goal themed clipart images and by making standard models like a SWOT analysis .

On the other hand, if you are looking for a creative design for SMART goal setting, we recommend our SMART Goals Templates . These objective slides will allow you to specify your objectives in a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely way.

What is a Goals Slide?

A goals slide is a tailored PowerPoint template designed to outline and communicate key objectives or goals of a project or business strategy.

What is a Target Slide?

A target PowerPoint slide is a pre-made design intended to showcase targets of benchmarks any team intends to achieve. Typically, they are used for sales, customer engagement, project milestones, or similar measurable indicators.

What are the Goals of a Presentation?

This majorly depends on the niche of the presentation, but we can generalize the goals of a presentation as informing the audience, persuading stakeholders to take action, and simplifying the communication of data to a broad audience.

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