OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

Session 1: Life Cycle and Goal Setting

INTRODUCTION

Human life cycle is complex. A human being starts a process of change that continues throughout life.
He/she is from a single cell to a person who develops and moves through an ever-changing world and
follows a unique trajectory. He/she is defined by family, socioeconomic status and neighborhood, culture,
religion and other institutions. To understand one’s life cycle, there should be an understanding of life
stages and significant events in each phase. Many are interested in the universal process of development,
but it is interesting to understand individual differences. Each person has an individual path to follow and
different goals. What makes each person unique? How does life course affect an individual? Are the goals
of an individual reflective of his/her life stage and life course?

Goals are part of life - the way someone needs to accomplish at work, the way an individual utilizes extra
time. Everything comes down to needs, and a person might want to achieve in each viewpoint – whether
he/she settle on a cognizant decision or runs with intuitive inclinations. Without defining goals or
destinations, life turns into a progression of disordered happenings you don't control. Your goals lead your
direction and help you avoid not to acquire the things you desire or fulfill your dreams.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this module, students are expected to:
1. Explain/analyze life cycle is
2. Discuss the universal life cycle
3. Analyze goal setting
4. Examine one’s goals and develop his/her action plan

MODULE LESSON

Life expectancy in the country in 2010-2015 was 68.6 years, which was lower than the world average by
2.2 years. Filipino females (72.06 years) tend to outlive their male counterparts by 6.75 years. The
Philippines has been not able to keep pace with the rest of the world in broadening the lifespan of its
residents over the most recent 25 years (Philippine Journal of Science, 2018). Life cycle is defined as the
series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive
recurrences of specified primary stage.Human life cycle starts with fertilization. Life stages such as infancy,
childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood are developmental phases. Each with its own
biological, psychological, and psychosocial characteristics, through which individuals pass over the course
of their lives.

All individuals pass through major life cycle transitions such as entering school, dealing with friends, getting
married, looking for a job, enter the adult world, or taking care for the elderly. These typical periods of
development are influenced by heredity, environment and maturation.

Goal Setting Theory

Goal setting is crucial for one’s success. Goal setting is a powerful way of motivating people and motivating
oneself. Dr. Edwin Locke pioneered a research in the 1960s’ about setting goals. This theory was more
known to work in industrial setting. Goal setting theory utilizes the SMART goals setting in which the goals
are expected to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely(SMART). After several years,
Dr. Locke and Dr. Gary Latham collaborated to a seminal work called, “A Theory of Goal Setting and Task
Performance.
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

The theory states that there is a relationship between how difficult and specific a goal was and the
people’s performance task. It was found out that difficult, yet specific goals led to better task performance
than easy yet vague goals. Those people who have specific goals perform better than those without
specific goals. For instance, words of motivation such as “I will pass the exam” or “You can do it” are less
effective than “I will have 90% of my sales target by next month”. A goal that is clear, challenging,
committed and well evaluated is better.

Five Principles of Goal Setting (Locke, 1960)

a. Clarity – Clear, measurable and unambiguous (specific) goals.

b. Challenge –Set a level of challenge to beat yourself with.
c. Commitment – The harder the goal, the more commitment is required.
d. Feedback – Listen to feedback from people to provide opportunities to clarify expectations,
adjust goal difficulty and gain recognition.
e. Task Complexity – The more complicated and demanding the role would give elevated level of
motivation to a person.

MODULE ACTIVITIES

A. Using the graph below, plot the most significant events in each stage of your life which you think
have shaped you become a better individual. You may use drawings, pictures, emoticons and
other images that will explain these events. You may plot as many as you want, either good or not-
so-good.

Synthesis:

Among the life stages, which do you think is your best stage and your worst stage?
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

- The best stage was the toddler and early school age, and the worst stage was the early
adolescence.

Why would you consider that stage as the best phase of your life?

- I consider it as the best stage of my life because I’m still a kid in that stage and I don’t have
any problem. All I could think at that time was playing.

What did you learn from the worst experience? How did you handle such experience?

- I learned to be strong and mature at an early age because of my parents’ separation. I had to
be strong enough for my mother and younger brother to hold onto or lean on.

B. PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT AND GOAL SETTING

Mission statements are designed to provide direction and thrust to an organization, an enduring statement
of purpose. A mission statement acts as an invisible hand that guides the people in the organization.

Writing a personal mission statement offers the opportunity to establish what’s important to you, and can
help guide you toward a decision on a particular job, company, or career field. It also enables one to chart a
new course when they’re at a career crossroads.

(Retrieved from: https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/jobs/creating-personal-mission-statements.)

Steps for Developing a Personal Mission Statement

Step 1: Identify past successes.

My earliest successes were when I was a kid and learned how to cook, ride a bicycle, and win a math
competition. When I grew older, I graduated senior high with honors and moved out to a new province for
college.

Step 2. Identify core values.

Flexible, understanding, hard-working, goal-oriented and compassionate.

 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

Step 3. Identify Contributions.

I think I can contribute to my country by getting aware of issues and being a responsible citizen. In my
family, my contribution is studying hard because it is what my family and I want. Also, volunteering,
participating in activities, and being respectful can contribute to my community as well as to my future
employer.

Step 4. Identify goals.

My studies are my first priority right now. I have many life goals that I hope to achieve, one of which is to
graduate from college. I also want to have my ideal job, my own home, own happy family, and a
financially stable life.

Step 5. Write mission statement.

To become a better individual who seeks to strive for more. To be competent and use my skills to help
others and have dedication. May we never lose our passion and keep on dreaming.

Source: Hansen, R. The Five-Step Plan for Creating Personal Mission Statements.

CLOSURE

Journal Writing

Does your personal mission statement translate OLFU’s mission and vision statement? Elaborate your
answer.
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

- Yes, my mission statement translates to OLFU’s mission statement since it is more on being
competent as an individual and being dedicated to what you are doing.

REFERENCES

Life cycle. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/lifecycle

Locke, E. (2002). Setting goals for Life and Happiness. In Snyder & Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive
psychology (pp 299 – 312). Oxford University Press.

Papalia, D. E., & Martorel, G. (2015). Experience human development. New York: McGraw-Hill.