Goal Setting

Your Plans for Your Future

GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL !!!!

You’ve heard this by the announcer on TV. A “goal” is what all the soccer players are working for. Everybody on the team wants to make a goal.

A goal is something you want to achieve. It can be something you want soon – a short-term goal—or something you need to work towards for a long time—a long-term goal.

Sometimes the goalie keeps your team from making a goal. Then the team must find a way to get around the goalie. If they don’t, they will lose the game.

Something that keeps you from achieving your goals is called an “obstacle.” When you face an obstacle, you have to find a way around it. You need to try something new or sometimes change your goal so that it is reachable. Most obstacles can be overcome, but you must make sure your goals are realistic.

Everybody has different goals and dreams for the future.

You may have personal goals like buying a home or starting a family.

You may have educational goals like going to college or getting your GED.

You may have career goals like getting a job or getting a promotion.

It usually takes planning to reach your goals. What do you need to do first? What do you need to do next? You can reach your goal if you take one step at a time.

Are there any obstacles you will have to overcome? How will you get around these obstacles?

Let’s imagine that your goal is to get a job. If you are not fluent in English, that might be an obstacle. You can overcome this obstacle by taking ESL classes and practicing English inside and outside of the classroom.

Another obstacle might be that you do not have a high school diploma. You will need to study and take the GED exam as soon as your English is good enough.

Or maybe you do not have a car or a driver’s license to get to a job. Perhaps you can borrow money from your family to buy a car, and you can get a learner’s permit to learn to drive.

It will take some time to reach many of your goals, but with good planning and determination you can do it!