Goal Creation

How to Create Sustainable and Achievable Goals

Some of the most successful people set goals. Goal creation will help you focus on the result directionally and how to quantify that success. They motivate you and give you a timeline for accomplishment. Goals give you a sense of responsibility or accountability to the end product of that goal. It helps you track your progress towards a goal. When you can accomplish a goal or even part of a goal, this will instill confidence in your abilities. Finally, goal setting helps you set your priorities. No one can get everything done at once. Creating goals focuses you on your chosen area or task. When you focus your energy in a specific direction, you will move further and with purpose.  

The first step in setting goals is knowing what you want to accomplish. Now is a good time to envision what you would like your life to be like in the near future. Visualize what you would like yourself to look and feel like in 3-6 months or even one year. Using visualization is a powerful method for transformation.

As you develop your goals, you will create them in a way that makes you solely responsible for their deployment and the results. Avoid creating them in a way that is dependent on the actions of others allows you to make sure you will be able to accomplish your goals. You will be in control of the outcome. It will depend on your motivation, determination, and desire for success. You will get out of this commitment just what you put into it.

What is a suitable method for writing goals? 

One of the easiest and most popular is SMART goals writing.

Your belief in your ability to achieve the goal is the most significant factor in your success.

Once you have created your goals, it is time to consider the action steps required to complete them.

Goals:

1. I will decrease my soda consumption to one soda per day, twice a week, by June 4th.

   • Action Steps For Goal #1:

     1. Decrease soda consumption to 2-12oz cans of soda per day by May 7th.

     2. Decrease soda consumption to 1-12oz can of soda per day by May 14th.

     3. Decrease soda consumption to 1-12oz can every other day by May 21st.

     4. Decrease soda consumption to 1-12oz can three times a week by May 28th.

     5. Reduce soda consumption to 1-12oz can twice a week by June 4th.

2. I will create a sleep routine and utilize it no less than four times a week by June 18th.

   • Action Steps For Goal #2:

     1. Review a list of ways to improve sleep (with my sleep partner) and select three things I (we) think I (we) could most easily incorporate into my (our) daily routine by May 28th.

     2. Pick one change in sleep habits and implement it no less than four times a week by June 4th.

     3. Select another sleep habit to implement no less than four times a week by June 11th.

     4. Select another sleep habit to implement no less than four times a week by June 18th.  

References: 

• Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. The Guilford Press.

• Bocci, G. S. (2019). The Social Media Workbook for Teens. New Harbinger Publications Inc.

• Cooper, B. & Widdows, N. (2008). The Social Success Workbook for Teens. New Harbinger Publications Inc.

• CROWDER, A. (2020). CBT Toolbox for Children & Adolescents: Over 200 worksheets & exercises for trauma, ADHD. PESI PUBLISHING.

• Eich, J. (2015). Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training with Adolescents. PESI.

• Griff, K. (2020). Social Skills Curriculum for Teens. Trixie Lulah Publishing.

• Gruzewski, K. (2020). Therapy Games for Teens. Callisto Publishing.

• Hansen, S. A. (2013).  The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens. New Harbinger Publications Inc.

• Linehan, M.M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press: New York.

• McLaughlin, L. (2002). Oppositional Defiant Disorder Activities. Rockridge Press.

• Phifer, L.W. (2022). The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults. PESI.

• Pratt, D.M. (2019). CBT Toolbox for Depressed, Anxious & Suicidal Children and Adolescents. PESI.

• Shannon, J. (2022). The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens. New Harbinger Publications Inc.

• Sokol, L., & Fox, M. G. (2020). The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. PESI.

• Spensley, S. (2021). Positive Behavior Activities for Kids. Rockridge Press.

• Stallard, P. (2019). Thinking good, feeling better: A cognitive behavioural therapy workbook for adolescents and young adults. Wiley.

• Wilson, T. (2023). Therapy Games for Kids. Vox Publishing House.