Dear Mommies & Daddies,
Have you seen your child set goals only to give up in a few months, or even a few weeks later?
If your child’s goal is unrealistic, or not well defined, then he or she is starting out with an immediate handicap. Thus, there is a significant difference between setting goals and setting realistic goals.
Setting realistic goals is a fundamental component to long-term academic success. The basic reason for this is that your child cannot get to where he or she is trying to go until they clearly define the goal.
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Thus, it is crucial for a student to learn how to set realistic goals in order to achieve academic success.
Here are eight guidelines for your child to set realistic, achievable goals that translate into academic success:
#1: Write Your Goals Down
Your child is far more likely to achieve his or her goals if they write it down.
Writing down goals also helps make them real to your child. If your child simply thinks about a goal, it’s not tangible enough because your child can always change his or her mind.
However, when your child writes it down, the act of writing helps him or her commit to the goals. It gives your child something to visually see and reflect on.
#2: Set Short Term Targets
Goals that are far out of sight are easy to procrastinate on and put off. It’s alright to have long term dreams but in the short run, your child should have targets as well.
For example, revising a few key concepts a day will aid the long term goal of a specific desirable exam result.
These short term targets will help you stay on track, and will make your long term goal much more manageable.
#3: Be Specific
The more specific your child’s goal is, the better motivated he or she will be because he or she can tell how close they are to achieving said goal.
With vague goals, it’s easy to get discouraged because your child may not feel like he or she is getting closer to their goals because there is no clear end in sight.
Hence, your child should use specific, tangible words and dates by which the goals will be accomplished when he or she sets goals.
#4: Start with One Goal
Trying to accomplish too many goals at once is frequently a recipe for failure.
For most children, changing too many aspects of their lives requires an overwhelming amount of willpower and ends up being unrealistic.
Instead of being overambitious, your child should set one goal at a time. Only after he or she achieves that goal, they can add more goals into the mix.
#5: Schedule in Time for Your Goals
If your child does not make time for his or her goals, they will never be accomplished. Generally speaking, the more time you allocate per day to your goal, the faster you’ll achieve it.
Rather than leave it to chance, your child should be scheduling a specific time every day for his or her goal. The block of time to carry out the activity towards achieving the said goal should be indicated on their schedule so your child can attend to it regularly.
#6: Set Goals You Actually Want to Achieve
It is important for your child to learn the life skill of making decisions for themselves and being responsible for said decisions. To a large extent, your child should not set goals because you – their parent – thinks they “should” or because they “sound good.”
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Your child should be given the opportunity to experience intrinsic motivation from a young age. Your child’s goals should not only be realistically achievable, but more importantly – because it is what he or she wants.
#7: Be Flexible
Assess your child’s progress periodically, provide honest feedback and adjust to circumstances is imperative. Even if your child encounters roadblocks on the path to achieving your goals, don’t give up.
Instead, he or she should be willing to alter them to meet the new needs.
#8: Set Goals Together and Celebrate Your Victories as a Team
As stated in point 6, in order to increase motivation, your child needs to be allowed to participate in the goal-setting process.
It is important to show your child that a particular goal makes a contribution to the family, school or society’s general success. Then, show your child your interest and support.
The trick is to achieve a balance between giving your child total freedom and directing them every step of the way. Most importantly, when approaching completion of a goal, set a new one.
In conclusion…
The above mentioned pointers are merely guidelines towards helping your child set realistic goals. They are not hard or fast rules that should be adhered to with rigidity.
Ultimately, there are goals and there are realistic goals. Your child should be setting the latter in order to achieve peak performance.
