Goal setting, prioritizing and staying on track

First of all, make sure that you are moving toward a goal that you really want to achieve. The last thing you need is to go off to Medical School because your parents want you to be a doctor.

Any goals that you set for yourself are much easier to stick with than the goals someone else has set for you. Self motivation is truly where it's all at. On the flip side, that also means that you're the only one who can truly motivate yourself to accomplish your goals.

You should really spend a little time writing out your goals. Take out a sheet of paper and mark it with the following two headings, "Long-term goals" and "Short-term goals".

Of course, you can decide not to do this, but trust me; it will be worth your time.

Once you've gotten your sheet of paper set up, start thinking about what your long-term goals actually are. I'm fairly certain that they really aren't getting into a good college or scoring well on any particular exam.

How do I know this?

Well ask yourself, once you get into a good college, are you going to be satisfied?

Probably not.

At that point, you'll want to do well in college, get a good internship, and ultimately, a great job.

So think along those lines. It's the big picture that you're after. In all likelihood, no matter what your current situation is, I'm betting you want a good career down the road.

Under the "Long-term goals" heading, write out your ultimate career goals. Be very certain you are specific. You don't just want to say, "I want an awesome career in the legal field earning a good salary".

Even that is way too vague.

It's a fact that people usually do get what they desire and work for, but the problem is, they're usually not specific enough about what they truly want.

A job as a legal assistant earning $30,000 a year is a great career with a good salary to many, but is that really what you want? Or are you shooting for a partnership at a law firm earning over $200,000 a year?

Do you really want to be a prominent research Scientist at an Ivy League school like Harvard or would you prefer working as a lab assistant at the local hospital?

In both examples, there is nothing wrong with either goal, but if you really want a particular outcome, you need to focus on getting it. Now is not the time to be broad. This is your career (and life) after all! Spend some time thinking about what you really want and put it into words.

This is your long-term goal.

Next, think about how the test you are going to take will help you achieve your long-term goals. Do you need to score high on a college admission exam to get into the school of your dreams? Do you need to pass a professional exam to start your career? Write down how taking this big test will help you achieve your long-term goals. You can put this under the heading "Short-term goals".

Again, be specific. Many professional tests are just pass/fail. It really makes no difference if you score 100% or you barely pass it. No one will ever know your final score (often, not even you). If you need above a particular score on a college admissions exam to get into a certain college, then now's the time to write that score down.

Hopefully you have determined a test date like discussed in the previous newsletters. If so, write it out along with your three dates for learning the basics, the details, and taking practice exams.

These are all short term goals as well. Here's an example of what you should do.

Long-term goals:
"I will ultimately work for a top marketing agency in a major city (preferably St. Louis , Boston , or Los Angeles ) writing national advertising campaigns. I plan to earn $80,000 a year after 4 years of work experience and keep getting promotions and raises each year after."

Short-term goals:
"I will score above a 680 on the GMAT so that I should have no problem getting into one of my top choices for business school. I plan to take the GMAT on January 19 th . Here is my 3-step strategy for scoring above a 680:

• Target Test Date - January 19th
• Start Practice Exams - December 31st
• Start Detailed Study - December 11th
• Start Basic Study - November 21st

I'm sure you can accomplish your goals. Just make sure you're specific enough!

Once you have your goal sheet written out in this manner, make sure to read through both your Long-term and Short-term goals each and every day. It's best if you put this sheet somewhere where you will see it daily (like near your computer, in your school bag, on your desk, etc.).

This will help because you've attached achieving what you really want along with passing your next exam. You will also be reminded of the few steps you need to take to achieve your short-term goals.

Setting deadlines for finishing each of your goals is critical. Make sure the deadlines you set are realistic or you will not be able to meet them. If you can't meet you goals on time, then you will foster negativity.

So make sure to set your goals, read through them each day, and start working toward meeting them.