Thursday, January 29, 2009

What Part Does Planning And Goal Setting Play In Study Success?

By Scott Edwards

Nothing great ever happens by accident. Successful people from all walks of life don't just wake up one morning as high achievers! For change to happen, a plan of action has to be made, targets have to be set and a commitment to see it through has to be adopted.

Before you embark on your studies, you'll find it valuable to set yourself a series of goals or targets to help you complete the course. Spending a little time planning these goals will pay dividends down the road. To have a chance of reaching your goals, they should always be S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Targeted.

Use the following five D's to help you get emotionally involved with the result of your efforts. Write your five D's down in a contract to yourself.

DEFINE exactly what you expect to get from your efforts, in terms of possessions, income, lifestyle etc. Make a collage of pictures that reflects these things, and look at them regularly (e.g. before your study sessions). The more specifically you define what you want, the better.

DESIRE is what stirs us deep down. Think about why you've decided to take this course, and why it's important to you. The more emotionally involved you get with your desire, the more you'll stick with it. Pin point whether it's the job, the status, the challenge, or the control etc. that drives you.

Commitment or DEDICATION. Announce to yourself and those close to you that you're dedicated to your studies by writing up a timetable and sticking with it. However much time you choose to study each week, have it written on a calendar planner that you can cross off once you've completed it. Put it in a prominent place so it's at the forefront of your mind (at least until it becomes a habit). All things that are important get prioritised, so let your friends and family know that this is a priority to you for perhaps ten hours a week for a set number of months. Once your timetable has become established, you'll take pride in your dedication, and study all the better for it.

DETERMINATION. Having a contract with yourself will make you more determined to stick with the programme. You're the one who will lose out most if you give up on yourself.

DISCIPLINE. The goals and disciplines you put in place will give you strength to overcome any adversities that inevitably come your way.

Your contract is the beginning of your new life. Those who write down their goals in a specific and realistic manner, then work diligently and consistently to achieve them, have proven to be amongst the world's most successful people. Read your contract every day, and add positive new jottings and pictures to it that will help you when the going gets tough. Plan your work, and then work your plan with commitment. In two years time your life could be unrecognisable to those who know you now.

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