Informed goal setting is important

As the reality of the New Year dawned, many people came up with the so called New Year Resolutions. Interestingly, on the eve of every year I watch TV and witness the kind of ecstasy and enthusiasm that characterizes many people’s New Year expectations which turns to be a mere fad; very little, if not nothing is gained in the long run. For students, the start and end of years is just nothing more than movement towards the end of their life journey. If asked, many students are not sure about what they want to achieve at school and in their general life. Some students only speak of what their parents want them to do and not what they can do or what they intend to achieve within a given time frame. I have a strong conviction that strong educational guidelines should be in place to help students to identify and set long term life and career goals. Working without a goal is comparable to a cross-country driver participating in his first ever cross-country trip and keeps checking the map at every intersection because he is not familiar with the route. At the end of the day, he never reaches his destination because he got lost a couple of times on his journey. In the same way, many students cannot reach their desired destinations if they do not have the right educational maps that they circumspectly follow.Goals need to be complete and focused just like a road map. Realistic problem solving begins with the A, B, and C of goal setting strategy. This criterion will help students measure up the quality of their goals. A (Achievable) This is a goal that an individual can trace, step by step, from his or her current place to the actual attainment. On the long climb to the goal, an individual knows each step in sequence; they understand which steps are critical and which ones may need some adjusting. B (Believable) A believable goal is built on a careful assessment of what is within our grasp. All students need to use their personal experiences to refine their visions of what is possible or what is within their grasp. Direct experience can be the best teacher. C (Capable) A capable goal is built on a solid assessment of one’s strengths and weaknesses. The assessment is solid to the degree that good evidence from reliable sources is available to tell students what they can do and what they cannot do. The ABC’s of goal setting can help students clarify their goals and bring them into a path that is more realistic. When put together, this principle helps students to form a more realistic, intertwined picture of what is desired to attain the best out of their education. All goals should be high enough. Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you will reach for the stars. The author is the Director of Studies at Nu Vision High znyamosi@yahoo.com