By Lauren Kazemekas '24“Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” - Mark Twain Mark Twain said the quote above to ensure people make the most of the life they are given. As a college student you probably have goals that are short and long term, both academic and professional. But how can you go about achieving these goals?
The acronym SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is often used as a guideline for goal setting. Although the acronym can be a helpful foundation, I want to focus on small steps you can take toward making your dream a reality. The video How to Design Your Life with Alex Heyne outlines a three-step process toward achieving your goals that I find very inspiring. Heyne, an author and founder of self-help resource Modern Health Monk, talks about designing your plan, forming habits, and following through. The “Design” It’s important to understand that without a vision or game plan, you cannot accomplish anything. Maybe you have a few goals already. On the other hand, perhaps planning your future is overwhelming and you don’t know where to begin. Heynes states that starting with the thought of “Wouldn’t it be cool to…” is a great way to brainstorm new goals. He emphasizes the importance of having a journal and writing down the kind of life he wants to build when he thinks of new goals. Heyne keeps notes on things in his life that spark interest and curiosity to “put trajectories in your brain and in your subconscious”. Start off by thinking about where you want to be within a certain time frame. If 5 or 10 years into the future is too much to consider, maybe just think about the next two months. The goal setting process begins with an idea, which can develop into a much larger plan. Forming Habits Now that you have a goal, you have to put steps into practice toward achieving it. Forget the goal, form the habit. Heyne suggests forming three habits per goal and writing them down so you remember to do them. For instance, if my goal is to get more sleep my habits could be taking a nap during the day, putting my phone away by 10:30 PM, and setting a nightly curfew of 11 PM. Setting smaller goals to work toward your larger goal is also important. If I want to get a job in marketing right out of college, effective benchmarks to set along the way could be making the Dean’s list during the Spring 2021 semester, building my LinkedIn profile to 150 connections, and attending two virtual networking events each month. Following Through This last part can be the easiest or hardest thing to do during your journey toward your final goal. You must hold yourself accountable to your habits and practice them daily. To increase the likelihood of achieving your goal, try having other people like trusted family and friends, or even a faculty mentor, check in with periodically to see how you are following through with your new habits. There are many additional resources that explore goal setting techniques. I highly recommend listening to the Ted Talk How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals with investment manager Stephen Duneier. Michael Hyatt’s book Your Best Year Ever provides a clear, research-based approach to setting meaningful goals and creating a purposeful life. Lastly, I would check out the Forbes article on 6 Ways to Achieve a Goal where Molly Cain gives practical advice on following through on your commitments. While your goals and aspirations can change during your time at Marist, know that the Center for Career Services team and many other resources are available to assist you in taking steps to achieve them.
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