Putting your goals into action

After you've set your goals and subgoals (see Setting Goals fact sheet) the next step is to put your goals into action. It is likely that having your goals broken down into smaller steps will make it a lot easier for you to achieve your goals in the long run.

Plan of action

The third stage is to write a step-by-step plan for achieving your subgoals, and ultimately your main goal. This includes planning deadlines for each subgoal and writing down all the 'nitty-gritty' - things you are going to do today, tomorrow, and later on this week in order to achieve your goal and subgoals.

Case study - Liam's plan of action

My goal: To be a competent surfer within one year.

How I will benefit from achieving this goal:

• I love surfing - I will enjoy it.
• It will help me to stay fit.
• It's sociable - something I can do with my friends.
• It's a skill, and mastering it would give me a sense of achievement.

Subgoals (specific steps to achieve this goal) PLUS target dates for each step:

• Ask mum and dad to pay for three surfing lessons as part of my birthday present - target date: Tonight
• Join the local board riders club - target date: by Tuesday 2 May
• Go out with Dan (my brother) who is good at it and get him to give me some tips - target date: regularly, starting 4 May
• Go surfing at least three times a week (at least two mornings before school, and once on the weekend) - target date: Starting 24 May

The nitty-gritty (things I need to do this week):

TONIGHT:

• Talk to mum and dad about surfing lessons.
• Talk to Dan about going surfing with him.

TOMORROW:

• Ring the local board riders club and find out about membership.

WEDNESDAY:

• Book my surfing lessons for Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week.
• Tell Nick and Steve that I want to join them when they go surfing on Monday and Friday mornings once I've had lessons.

Over to you

Choose one of the areas that you identified earlier in the Setting goals fact sheet as something that you would like to achieve. Describe it as a specific goal, and include a deadline for its achievement. Then describe the benefits that you will stand to gain, your subgoals and the steps you need to take this week in order to work towards your goal. You can do this by filling in the spaces next to the following headings:

PLAN OF ACTION

• My Goal
• How I will benefit from achieving this goal
• Subgoals (specific steps to achieve this goal) PLUS target dates for each step
• The nitty-gritty (things I need to do this week)

Identify the obstacles

Once you have defined your goals and worked out subgoals and a plan of action, you are well on the way... but it's not always smooth sailing from here.

Sometimes, in spite of the best intentions and thorough planning, obstacles get in the way. Obstacles are the things that can stop you from getting what we want. They can be practical problems like lack of time, or psychological blocks like fear of failure.

Common obstacles

Practical problems:

• Not having enough time
• Not having enough money
• Not having enough knowledge or skills
• Stress and fatigue
• Parents or friends who don't approve of your goal

Psychological blocks:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of disapproval or rejection
• Lack of confidence in your ability to succeed
• Frustration
• Lack of motivation
• Short attention span
• Lack of well-defined goal

Obstacles don't necessarily stop you from achieving your goals, but they present a roadblock; they challenge you to devise strategies to overcome them.

It is often helpful to anticipate any obstacles that are likely to arise while you are working towards your goals, and to plan out how you are going to deal with them.

As an example, let's take a look at how Casey planned to overcome her obstacles in relation to regular exercise.

Casey's goal: to exercise at least five times a week.

Possible obstacle: I'll get bored

Strategies to overcome:

• Vary my exercise (e.g. different running routes, run sometimes on the sand at the beach, do an aerobics class at the gym, etc).
• Talk to Dad and Sasha about training together in the mornings.
• Listen to good music while training.

Over to you

List all the possible obstacles that might get In the way of achieving your goal, and strategies that you can use to overcome them.

• My goal
• My plan for overcoming the obstacles
• Possible obstacles
• Strategies to overcome them

Attaining the goals

Focus on the rewards

You tend to feel motivated when you focus on the rewards rather than the pain involved in getting the things that you want. For this reason, it's always a good idea to write down all the benefits that you hope to gain by achieving your goal.

Try to think laterally when you write your list. Besides the direct benefits of getting what you want, there is often the additional satisfaction of feeling in control, increasing your self-efficacy (belief in your ability to get things done) and a greater level of self-confidence.

Write down all the benefits that you stand to gain by achieving your goal.

Visualise success

Many people know the benefits of visualising their goals - it's a technique that many elite athletes use. Focusing on the image of swimming, or running, or winning in front of a cheering crowd helps many athletes stay motivated while they're in training. In a similar way, you can create an image of the things that you would like to achieve and use it for inspiration.

Other tips

Be flexible

Have multiple options to achieve your goals. There is never just one way to achieve something. It's important not to put all your eggs into one basket - investigate and plan other ways to get to where you want to get, whether it's a Uni degree, job, or holiday.

Get support

It's important to reach out and get support from others who can help you achieve your goals. This could be practical support, such as from teachers or coaches, or moral support, from those such as friends and family.

Try it out

Setting goals keeps us focussed and motivated, and increases your chances of getting the things you want. You can set goals for different areas, such as your career, lifestyle, friendships, attitudes, interests and health.

In order to achieve your goals you need to clearly define what you want, set 'subgoals', that you will need to achieve along the way, and follow through a step-by-step plan of action.

Perhaps people fail to achieve their goals because various obstacles get in their way. Obstacles can be psychological (such as getting bored or lacking motivation) or they can be practical problems (like not having enough time, money or support). When planning goals it is important to consider the potential obstacles and work out a plan to overcome them.

Let us know how you go - you can do this by filling in a feedback form at the bottom of the page.

Acknowledgement

This fact sheet comes from:
Taking Charge! A Guide for Teenagers: Practical Ways to Overcome Stress, Hassles and Upsetting Emotions.
By: Dr Sarah Edelman and Louise Rémond
Foundation for Life Sciences (2005)
www.fls.org.au