We all strive for success, it’s in our nature, but few people are lucky enough to have it fall into their laps. So, if you want to perform at your highest level, or get somewhere you want to be, you need to have a clear vision of what you want and set goals in order to get there.
A goal can be anything you’re looking to achieve, whether it be something big, like developing the next Candy Crush, landing your first job, or joining your dream career, or something smaller, such as studying for two straight hours. As long as you know where you want to go, you can plan accordingly to make sure you get there; this is the crucial part of goal-setting. Having a broader goal allows you to break it down into smaller goals, making it easier to obtain your dreams.
Goals keep you motivated
Let’s say your goal is to start a career in criminology. Setting this goal gives you a long-term vision of what you want to accomplish, and importantly, the short-term motivation to get there. Now let’s look at breaking this down into smaller goals to help you reach the big goal; for example, finishing your Diploma of Arts at SIBT.
To do this, you might set yourself a task to study for two hours every day in the leadup to the exam period because you know that it will help you reach your overarching goal of getting into a Bachelor of Social Science, and from there, a career in criminology. Having smaller goals like this is a great way to stay motivated because every time you complete one you get a sense of accomplishment, encouraging you to keep going. As you complete goal after goal, you’ll also build on your self-confidence as you realise your own ability.
Goals keep you focused
When you have a specific goal in mind you know exactly where you want to go, helping you to stay focused on the tasks at hand. For example, let’s say you just completed your Diploma of Media at SIBT and you’ve got a job interview at a local newspaper. If your goal is to get the job, you’re going to do everything you can to be as prepared as possible. You’ll be focusing on researching the company and its core values, and remembering everything you learned during your diploma study to give yourself the best possible chance.
Goals help track your success
In breaking your bigger goals down into smaller ones, you’re making benchmarks that help you track your progress. This lets you check your progress to see how far you’ve come towards your goal, or if you’ve been slacking, how much you must complete to catch up. These smaller goals that you tick off along the way to your ultimate goal are a measurement of your success, showing just how much you’ve accomplished. They also help prevent procrastination by laying out your next step. If you know what you need to do next to stay on-track for success, you’re less likely to stray from the path and fall behind.
Final thoughts…
Whether you write them down or keep them in your head, having goals to strive towards helps focus your life in the direction you want it to go. A lot of the time goal setting is unconscious, you realize something you want and go for it, but for longer term goals it’s helpful to create a plan to get there, hitting smaller goals along the way.
If your goal is graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Western Sydney University, then that’s where we can help. Fast-track your degree and your goals by completing a Diploma at SIBT, with guaranteed entry into year two of your bachelor’s program at Western Sydney University, Sydney City Campus.
Our first-class student support will ensure you put yourself in the best position to accomplish all your goals, big and small.
