Future Skills: Motivation and Goal setting for today and tomorrow

Youth Employment Services Motivation and Goal Setting for Today and Tomorrow: Participant Workbook

Motivation and Goal Setting for Today and Tomorrow

Overview and Purpose

This workshop introduces the concept of human agency and how it relates to goal setting and motivation. Tips are provided on how to set SMART goals and how to stay motivated while working towards them. Deciding on a word of the year will help to set the stage for the next 12 months.

Time

The workshop is between three and five hours long.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this workshop, you will:

1. Understand the concept of human agency.

2. Know how to set SMART goals.

3. Identify a few personal and career goals.

4. Understand the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.

5. Know how to choose a word of the year.

Leading Questions

As you complete this workshop, you will think about and answer the following questions:

1. What does human agency mean and how does this help me understand myself?

2. How do I set SMART goals?

3. What are some of my personal and career goals?

4. What motivates me?

5. How can I keep motivated as I pursue my goals?

6. What do I want for myself for the next 12 months?

Workshop Agenda

1. Human Agency

2. Goal Setting

3. Motivation

4. Word of the Year

5. Review and Wrap-Up

1. Human Agency

Albert Bandura is a Canadian-American psychologist who has studied the concept of human agency. Let’s learn a bit about this toipc and how it contributes to understanding ourselves. This is an important first step in being able to set goals and stick to them.

Human agency is about your ability to take action, be effective, influence your own life, and assume responsibility for your behaviour. Human agency involves the following:

1. If you’d like to review the key concepts related to human agency and learn a bit more about this subject, view this video called Human Agency by Albert Bandura: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMOA1XGHQhQ

Modes of Agency

The work world of the future will likely be structured, or organized, in a different way from today. You will not be able to count on getting one job and staying in this job, or even company, for your whole career. You will need to know what skills and experience you have to offer, as well as how to turn your skills and experience into paid employment. You may find that you do project or contingency work, moving from company to company until the work is completed.

You’ll need to take responsibility for your career. There are different ways to use agency in our lives:

Individual

· influencing self and own functioning (e.g. looking for a job, taking initiative on the job)

Proxy

· influencing others to achieve what they truly desire (e.g. coaching, supporting others)

Collective

· working together through independent effort to finish a task (e.g. group projects at school and work)

2. Goal Setting

Definitions

· A goal is something that you hope to achieve.

· A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envisions, plans and commits to achieve. People endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.

The following guidelines will help you set effective goals:

1. Be precise: Set a specific goal, recording dates, times and amounts so that you can measure your progress. Keep the goals achievable and realistic. We call these SMART goals.

2. Set priorities: If you have several goals, decide which ones are more important and must come first.

3. Write goals down: This makes them more real and gives them more power. Referring to them can help keep you motivated.

SMART Goals

Here’s some additional information on how to set SMART goals:

Specific

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being achieved than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions: Who, What, Where, When, Which, Why. For example, Who is involved? What do I want to accomplish? Where will be the location? When will I achieve the goal by? Which requirements and constraints must I take into consideration? Why am I setting this goal?

Measurable

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience achievement which encourages continued effort required to reach your goal. Ask yourself questions such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Achievable

When you set goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Realistic

To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Your goal is realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Ask yourself: “Have I accomplished anything similar in the past?” or “what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.?”

Time Framed

A goal should have a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. When you anchor your goal to a timeframe then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

1. Are the following goals SMART? Yes or No.

2. If no, how could they be improved? Write down a new version.

a) I will have more than one informational interview for the hotel/hospitality industry each week.

b) I will get a job by next month.

c) I will use LinkedIn to network in the graphic design field.

d) Every week, I will submit my resume and cover letter for at least 5 job postings that require a Social Service Worker diploma.

e) I will use LinkedIn to reach out to five new contacts in the child care field.

Personal Goal

1. Write down the first personal goal that comes to mind.

2. Use the SMART guidelines to re-word your goal.

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Job Goal

1. Write down the first job goal that comes to mind.

2. Use the SMART guidelines to re-word your goal.

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3. Motivation

1. View the video called 4 simple tricks to stay motivated every day, (10:27 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnxUdD17iR0\

2. What are the four simple tricks to staying motivated?

3. Note your reactions to the presentation. Do you agree? Do you disagree? What would you like to talk about?

4. In this video, the presenter says that goals do not equal dreams. “Dreams are flexible and easy. Goals are concrete steps towards something you want.” What do you think?

Types of Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

You do an activity because it’s internally rewarding. You find it fun, enjoyable and satisfying. The goal comes from within and there is no reward or deadline. For example, you exercise because it makes you feel good, not because you are training to win a race, or you take a course because you are interested in the subject, not because it is a requirement for a job.

Extrinsic Motivation

You do an activity in order to get an external reward in return. The goal is focused on an outcome. For example, you work hard to score in soccer because your parents have offered to pay you $10 a goal, or you get up at 4:00 a.m. to clean offices because you are saving up to buy the latest smart phone.

1. Would you say you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated most of the time?

2. Think about your own experience. When were you internally motivated to do something and when were you externally motivated?

3. How does this apply to looking for work and keeping a job once you’re in it?

Three Characteristics of People Who Are Motivated to Achieve

Additional Strategies for Staying Motivated

· Use the word “yet.” For example, “I don’t earn enough to have my own place…yet.”

· Remind yourself of previous positive experiences. You may have forgotten that you have what it takes to achieve your goal.

· It’s okay to overestimate your ability. You’ll get better at estimating how well you’ll do.

· Choose your own reward.

· Give the task your full attention. Focus.

Rewards

Many of us feel more motivated when we measure our efforts and reward ourselves when we reach our goals, or when we make progress towards them.

The type of reward makes a difference:

Contingency Reward

Celebratory Reward

“Once you do ABC, I will give you a reward.”

This type of reward may be helpful for establishing new behaviours but when the reward stops, the established behaviour may stop.

“I will plan my work, do it and then celebrate.”

This type of reward puts you in control and can help improve your attitude towards what you are doing.

4. Word of the Year

This workshop has been about setting goals and learning what motivates us. In this activity, you will choose one word that represents what you want to be, think, feel or do – over the next 12 months.

It’s not about failing or succeeding; it’s about having something to call on as you go through your daily life.

Choosing a word

1. Ask yourself a few questions, such as

· What do I need?

· Who do I want to be?

· How do I want to show up in the world?

· What are my goals?

2. Give yourself 3 minutes to write down all the words that come to mind, without thinking too much about them. See the list of words on the next page if you need some help.

3. Go through your list and think about each word. How does it make you feel?

4. Be patient. You will know when your word feels right.

5. Write down one or two words here that you are thinking about. Which one is for you?

Words to choose from if you need some inspiration

Motivation

Confidence

Style

Energy

Bravery

Feel

Love

Curious

Shiny

Calm

Strong

Flexible

Gentle

Worthy

Full

Capable

Inspired

Inspiring

Centred

Excited

Adapt

Stay

Move

Swing

Mindful

Finish

Start

Continue

Connection

Space

Expand

Breathe

Quiet

Tranquility

Clear

Plenty

Open

Fearless

Family

Friends

Joy

Gratitude

Open

Determined

Relentless

Whole

Aware

Twinkle

Still

Happy

Wise

Nourished

Appendix: Quotes

Here are a few quotes that you might find inspiring:

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. (Anthony Robbins)

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Dreams don’t work unless you do. (John C. Maxwell)

There’s only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure. (Paulo Coelho)

You fail at 100% of the goals you don’t set. (Mark Victor Hansen)

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going. It’s as simple as that. (Earl Nightingale)

For me, goals are my road map to the life I want. They have helped me accomplish things I once thought were impossible. (Catherine Pulsifer)

Goals are overrated. You should focus on the process. Hitting a goal may get you one win, but if you concentrate on the process, you’ll win again and again.

Intentionality

People form intentions that include action plans and strategies for realizing them.

Forethought

People set themselves goals and anticipate outcomes of prospective actions to guide and motivate efforts. They visualize their future.

Self-reactiveness

We are naturally contributors to our own life and circumstances, not just products of them.

Self-reflectiveness

We are born to be self-examiners: to have free will, distinguish between what's right or wrong, and reflect on our actions.

S Smart

M Measurable

A

Achievable

R

Realistic

T

Time-framed

are not overly fearful of attempting a task

believe they are capable of attempting the task

want to perform the task

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