Enhance your performance with achievable goals

Actively setting goals can be a source of motivation

When we set goals we determine an external standard to internally evaluate present level of performance

If this standard is not met, and goals not achieved, we persist in our effort.

Or do we?

Not all goals prompt persistence or effort.

These properties are important in the goal-setting process. Generality of the goal Time it may take to achieve the goal Orientation of the goal

General versus specificSetting specific goals is better that

setting general goals. I will be able to create an assessment

spreadsheet in Excel. I will learn more about Excel.

Consider the time it may take to achieve the goal Proximal goals are achievable quickly. Distal goals set criteria to be met in the distant

future. My students will practice solving daily word

problems. My students will score on or above level on FCAT

math. Setting proximal goals improves motivation and

performance. Studies show that setting both distal goals and

proximal goals are beneficial.

This experiment tested the effectiveness of proximal goals in promoting performance, developing self-efficacy, and fostering interest in activities…

The focus mastery of arithmetic operations in which low achievement had been displayed.

40 children from six elementary schools had mean age of 8.4 years.

Children received a packet of instructional materials then engaged in self-directed learning over a series of sessions under conditions involving a proximal goal, a distal goal, or no explicit goal.

The hypothesis was that the motivational effects of the proximal goals would lead to higher arithmetic achievement, self-efficacy, and interest, as compared to the other two conditions…

The proximal-goal treatment produced more rapid mastery of arithmetic operations, a higher level of skill development, a stronger sense of self-efficacy, and greater interest in arithmetic than did the other conditions.

The distal-goal and the no-goal condition had no difference in promoting change.

Perceived self-efficacy concerning arithmetic competence was positively related to achievement and intrinsic interest in arithmetic.

It was concluded that the study supports the idea that self-motivation generated through proximal goal setting can influence children's achievement outcomes.

Performance versus learning Performance goals are related to positive and negative

judgment of skills and abilities. Intelligence is fixed. You either have it or you don’t.

Learning goals are related to the increase of skills and abilities. Intelligence is changing. You can develop it.

With performance goals… Little confidence results in displayed helplessness,

avoiding challenge and quitting rather than persisting. High confidence results in seeking challenge and high

persistence. With learning goals…

Confidence does not affect achievement. More likely to seek challenges which benefit learning and

demonstrate persistence.

Activity goals lead to resultsWritten on July 21, 2008 in SMART Goals For a long time, I fell into the “results” trap in

setting goals. The goal we are working towards, of course, is a result. But the result is not the same as the goal. I like to think of the result as the objective of our work and the goals are the activities that we do to hit the objective.

Let me give you an example.

You have a personal health goal of losing 10-pounds. If you were using the SMART goal setting approach, you would create your goal to say something like this:

“Weigh 150 pounds by December 1st, 2008.”How does that measure up to our SMART goal:Specific? Check. Measurable? Check. Attainable.

Check. Relevant? Check. Time-bound? Check.A great goal, right?The problem is that it sets you up to “wish” the

goal into place. The goal in and of itself doesn’t require you to DO anything. Simply weigh 150 pounds by December 1st, 2008.

The trap comes from believing we have set up a great goal and then not following through with the activities necessary to lose the ten pounds. By building activity goals, we have a much better chance of achieving our objective of losing ten pounds.

So, a better set of goals to reach our ten pound weight objective:

Exercise 30-minutes on the treadmill six days a week. Consume no more than 2,178 calories per dayEach of these goals also reflects the SMART approach to goal

setting. But being activities to do every day, you have a better chance of hitting your objective of losing the weight.

Even if your manager pushes you to the “results” goal, make sure you build the activity goals necessary to make the objective. Then you won’t “wish upon a goal” and fail to make the objective everyone wants.