Target Setting Continued

Having completed the previous task, you have started the process of identifying the personality traits you admire in others and aspire to yourself, whilst simultaneously identifying your career goals.

Career goals are clearly much more long term - you have a variety of hoops to jump through before you get there and by the time you've got there, you've set your sights higher still.

As part of the PPD module, you'l need to look at more short term targets. These will support you through the Degree but will also feed directly into your final presentation in January.

Using the SMART target criteria outlined below, set yourself 5 targets for this year. These can be generic targets (e.g. related to time management or motivation) or could be more specific academic targets (e.g. related to specific aspects of specific modules). Record your responses for your portfolio or post them here if you wish.

SMART targets are definied as:

Specific
Measurable
Achieveable
Realistic
Time-related

The time-related aspect is vital as it enables you to track your progress and thus, keeps you motivated.

A common mistake made by students is to confuse GOALS with targets

• A GOAL is an end point and a statement of ambition
• TARGETS are quantifiable things to be done on the way to achieving the goal, will be on a much shorter time scale & are usually sequential

Look at the following targets set by students - which are SMART and which aren't?

1) To work harder
2) To pass my course
3) To learn the theory for the driving test exam in four weeks
4) To hand in all my work on time for the next six weeks
5) To improve my behaviour
6) To learn how to use spreadsheets by the end of June
7) To improve my time management
8) To do a revision schedule for my mocks by the end of this week
9) To improve my key skills
10) To turn up on time for all my lessons this half term
11) To do more revision
12) To get a part time job

Having read through the information above, set yourself 5 SMART targets for Semester 1.

Thanks

Kerry