Setting achievable goals using DAPPS

1. Setting achievable goals using DAPPS

2. “We…believe that one reason so many high school and college students have so much trouble focusing on their studies is because they don’t have a goal, don’t know what all this studying is leading to.” Muriel James & Dorothy Jongeward

3. Research at Yale University Researchers asked members of the class of 1953 if they has specific, written, long-term goals. Only 3% did. 20 years later, the researchers contacted the same graduates to see what happened to them. The 3% with goals had lives that were measurably better than the 97% without goals. The 3% who had set specific goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% put together On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

4. How to set a goal To be effective, a goal needs five qualities: DAPPS DAPPS is an acronym for Dated Achievable Personal Positive Specific On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

5. D - Dated Effective goals have specific deadlines Short term goal usually has a deadline within a few months or less Long term goal usually has a deadline of a year or more (sometimes 5-10 year) As deadline approaches, your motivation typically increases. This energy helps you finish strong. If you don’t meet your deadline, you have an opportunity to examine what went wrong and create a new plan Without a deadline, you might stretch the pursuit of a goal over your whole life time On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

6. A - Achievable Effective goals are realistic Example Running the marathon… Practice 1 week before the marathon by running around the block Practice 1 year before the marathon with someone that has completed a marathon Set your limit: not too high and not too low Ask your self: “Can this be done?” On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

7. P - Personal Effective goals are your goals, not someone else’s Ask yourself if your current goals contribute to your personal dreams On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

8. P - Positive Effective goals focus your energy on what you do want rather than on what you don’t want Translate negative goals into positive goals Example Negative: I will stop being late to class Positive: I will arrive on time to every class Negative: I will stop eating junk food Positive: I will start eating healthy food On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

9. S - Specific Effective goals state outcomes in specific, measurable terms Example Good: My goal is to do better this semester Better: I will achieve a 3.5 GPA or better this semester Good: My goal is to play better at basketball Better: I will score at least 80% more often on the basketball court On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

10. Dated: specific deadlines for goals Achievable: realistic goals Personal: effective goals are your goals, not someone else’s Positive: focus your energy on what you do want rather than what you don’t want Specific: effective goals state outcomes in specific, measurable terms How to set a Goal: DAPPS Rule On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing Workbook – page 40

11. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.-- Seneca