Long-Term and Short-Term Goals

Goals that can happen quickly are called short-term goals. Goals that take a long time to achieve are called long-term
goals. Find out more about them.

A short-term goal is something you want to do in the near future. The near future can mean today, this week, this
month, or even this year. A short-term goal is something you want to accomplish soon.
A short term goal is a goal you can achieve in 12 months or less. Examples include:

 Take a class
 Buy a new television
 Write my resume
A long-term goal is something you want to do further in the future. Long-term goals require time and planning. They are
not something you can do this week or even this year. Long-term goals usually take 12 months or more to achieve.
Here are examples of goals that can take several years to achieve:

 Graduate from college

 Save for retirement
 Have my own business
Tips for Setting Long-Term Goals
 Work backwards. Think about what you want to achieve then plan steps going back to what you can do right
now.
 Create a picture of where you want to be in life 10 years from now.
 Think about what you need to do in five years, in one year, and in six months to get to your long-term goal.
 Write down what you need to do each month to achieve your goals.
 After each monthly goal is achieved, look at your goals and adjust them as needed.
Prioritizing Your Goals
How do you decide what to do first? How do you adjust your goals? This is called prioritizing.

Prioritizing means that you decide what is most important to you right now. All of your goals are important, but it's
impossible to work on all of them at once.

1. Choose what is most important right now.

2. Focus mainly on that goal.
3. Add additional goals as you become comfortable with your efforts.
4. Being flexible is important. Change your focus on goals as your life changes.SMART Goals

Be SMART about setting your goals. Find out how to make achievable career goals.
What are SMART goals? These goals are:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Realistic
T = Time-based
When making career goals, you want the goals to meet as many of these criteria as possible. Here's what each of the
SMART terms means:

Specific
Specific means precise and detailed.

 When you write a goal that is specific, ask yourself: WHAT are you going to do?
 Be clear and detailed.
Instead of: "I want to be healthier." A specific goal is: "I'm going to eat at least two pieces of fruit every day."

Measurable
Measurable means you are able to determine or figure out that you have hit your target.

 When you write a goal that is measurable, ask yourself: HOW will you know when it is finished?
 Use numbers in your goal.
Instead of: "I'm going to lose weight." A measurable goal is: "I'm going to lose 10 pounds."

Achievable
Achievable means it's not just a dream, but your goal is within reach.

 When you write a goal that is achievable, ask yourself: HOW are you going to do it?
 Make a plan to achieve your goal.
Instead of: "I'm going to exercise." An achievable goal is: "I'm going to walk 30 minutes a day."

Realistic
Realistic means it's possible to do the task within a fixed amount of time.

 When you write a goal that is realistic, ask yourself: Can you do this in the timeframe that you have planned?
 Be honest about how long it will take you to achieve your goal and how you will get it done.
Instead of: "I'm going to lose 10 pounds this week." A realistic goal is: "I'm going to lose a pound and a half each week."

Time-based
Time-based means the goal is not open-ended, but there is a timeframe.

 When you write a goal that is time-based, ask yourself: WHEN are you going to have this done?
 Take small steps to complete your goal by the deadline.
Instead of "I'm going to lose 10 pounds." A time-based goal is: "I'm going to lose 10 pounds in two months.

Many people have goals like "I want to be healthier." They wonder why they don't achieve them. They would have more
luck if they wrote a SMART goal like: "I am going to eat two pieces a fruit and walk 30 minutes a day in order to lose a
pound and a half a week because I want to lose a total of 10 pounds in two months."