Setting goals for success

• Success


  • First step is to set goals
  • Second step is to take actions
• Goals and actions


  Perfect balance
• The 5 principles of the science of goal-setting


  • Clarity
  • Challenge
  • Commitment
  • Feedback
  • Complexity
• Clarity


  An effective goal gives you something very specific to measure and lets you know what behaviors to reward
• Challenge


  Goals that are difficult to achieve feel significant so you work harder to achieve them. If it isn't exciting, try aiming higher. If it seems so hard you feel discouraged, aim a little lower.
• Commitment


  People perform better when they are committed to achieving certain goals. This means it has to be something you really want to do.
• Feedback


  Allows you to determine how well you're doing and adjust the goal and your approach in reaching it.
• Complexity


  Highly complex tasks can quickly become overwhelming. If you start to feel stressed out about your goals, they are probably too complex or unrealistic.
• Duckworth et al, 2007: '"Grit involves working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. While disappointment or boredom may lead most people to change trajectory, the gritty individual stays the course"'
• Duckworth (2017) "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance"
• Grit


  Staying tough so you can be well
• Grit


  Involves working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. While disappointment or boredom may lead most people to change trajectory, the gritty individual stays the course
• The Grit Scale


  • 5=Very much like me
  • 4= Mostly like me
  • 3=Somewhat like me
  • 2=Not much like me
  • 1=Not like me at all
• Scoring the Grit Scale

  1. For questions 2, 4, 7 and 8 assign points based on the scale

  2. For questions 1, 3, 5 and 6 assign points based on the reverse scale

  3. Add up all the points and divide by 8
• Psychological assets of gritty people

  • Interest: passion begins with intrinsically enjoying what you do
  • Practice: daily discipline of trying to do things better than you did yesterday
  • Purpose: conviction that your work matters
  • Hope: learn to keep going even when things are difficult
• Interest


  Passion begins with intrinsically enjoying what you do
• Interests are not discovered through introspection
• Interests thrive when there are encouraging supporters
• We need encouragement and freedom to figure out what we enjoy
• Practice


  Daily discipline of trying to do things better than you did yesterday
• Requirements of deliberate practice

  • Clearly defined stretch goal
  • Full concentration and effort
  • Immediate and informative feedback
  • Repetition with reflection and refinement
• Make deliberate practice a habit
• Change the way you experience deliberate practice
• Purpose


  Conviction that your work matters
• Purpose


  The intention to contribute to the well-being of others
• Hope


  Expectation that your own efforts can improve your future
• Growth mindset


  • Optimistic self-talk
  • Perseverance over adversity
• Teaching yourself hope


  1. Update your beliefs about talent and intelligence

  2. Practice optimistic self-talk

  3. Ask for a helping hand
• Mental health


  A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community
• Increased self-control, better mental well-being, life satisfaction, feelings of worth, resilience and growth mindset and lower levels of perceived stress were associated with higher levels of grit. Grittier individuals believe that their skills and abilities will improve with hard work.
• Lower grit levels were found among University students with self-reported anxiety and depression.
• Gritty individuals were also found to be more likely to realize that life is meaningful, and tend to maintain perseverance and passion in order to achieve their long-term goals.
• Developing grit


  1. Positive self-talk (Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset)

  2. Activity: Would you rather...?
• Fixed mindset


  Your abilities are fixed traits and therefore can't be changed. Your talent and intelligence alone lead to success, and effort is not required.
• Growth mindset


  Your talents and abilities can be developed over time through effort and persistence.
• How to have a growth mindset


  1. Say this instead of...

  2. I will try another way instead of I give up!

  3. I can train my brain instead of It's too hard.

  4. I can't do this - yet! instead of I can't do this.

  5. I will learn from them instead of My friend can do it.
• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset examples
• Tips for developing a growth mindset


  • Positive attitude and persistence
  • Start solving smaller problems first
  • Reward yourself for hard work and delayed gratification
  • Acknowledge and work on your strengths
  • Strive to improve specific weaknesses
  • Know the why's before the what of a particular task
  • Remember that even if there are setbacks, these shouldn't stop you from trying again
• My growth mindset statements


  1. I may not be a good English communicator YET

  2. I have difficulty expressing myself in English

  3. I can't speak or write like others

  4. But I can read English books and literatures more

  5. I will ask someone to teach me how to speak and write better

  6. I hope to be a novel writer or an eloquent speaker someday
• Starting strong is easy, finishing strong is another