Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Goals give us something to work toward, purpose to keep us motivated and – with a little luck and a lot of hard work – something to celebrate.

Learning how to set goals is a vital skill for young people. After all, it's hard to get somewhere without knowing the destination you're heading to. Goals help teens focus on the journey to whatever they want to achieve, helping them to make plans, use their time and resources wisely, and identify the places where they may need some help.

For teens, learning how to set goals has many benefits, such as:

• achieving the desired end result
• increasing self-confidence throughout the process
• understanding and developing their work ethic
• learning what works best to motivate them
• building their perseverance when things don't go as planned
• learning when to ask for help or support

Setting goals helps teens put action behind their ideas. These skills will serve them well personally, in school and in the workforce.

Coming up with a goal is easy, but creating an action plan to reach it can be challenging. SMART goals are a way to write goal statements that include the actual steps that you need to take to achieve the goal.

"SMART" is an acronym to help guide the goal-setting process. Goals should be:

Specific: The goal does not need to be broad – it needs to be specific enough so that teens can focus their efforts and clearly define what they are going to do.
Measurable: The goal should be measurable. When they can measure a goal, they see changes occur. 
Attainable: The goal should be attainable. If they set a goal that is too far out of their reach, then they will not commit to it for long.
Realistic: The goal should be realistic. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement. It must require some effort.
Time-bound: The goal should be achievable in a reasonable amount of time. Some teens can lose interest.

When thinking of the goal they want to achieve, teens should check that it's a SMART goal, meeting the criteria above. Then, it's time to consider how they will measure the goal and within what time frame.

At the beginning of each year we spend time discussing this acronym with our Year 11 group as they begin their senior years of study.

Here are five ways to support teens in their goal-setting efforts:

Model what goal-setting looks like in your life
When your teen sees you set goals and work to achieve them, it’s one of their most direct ways to experience goal-setting.  Be open with them throughout the process, share what steps you’re taking to achieve your goal and be candid about setbacks and changes. 

Some examples of goal-setting that adults can model for teens might include: 

• Making a plan to find a new job
• Implementing a new healthy habit, like journaling or getting enough sleep
• Sticking to a budget to save toward something

Make a plan
Once they've decided on a goal to work toward, your teen should make a plan for how to achieve it. Writing it down often helps make it feel real and gives your teen a sense of accountability. 

Let teens lead the way
The best goals for teens are the ones teens pick themselves, plan for themselves and go after themselves. Self-driven experiences are often the most motivating and the most rewarding, with plenty of lessons to learn along the way. 

It’s OK if the goal changes
Today’s youth have a lot on their minds and busy schedules across academics, social life and more. It's OK if their goal changes. We've all experienced this at some point when working toward something. In the end, it's far healthier for your teen to acknowledge what's going on with them, share why something isn't working and how they're feeling about it, and make a plan to reset – instead of continuing to stress out over something because they feel they need to, that you are expecting them to, etc. 

Always celebrate when a goal is achieved
In a busy world where we often maintain a rapid pace, it's never been more important to take time to celebrate. Ensure your teen takes time to celebrate a job well done, and as the adult in their life, be sure to model this in your every day. 

Goals help teens make a plan and go after it, building skills that will last a lifetime.

Until next time: