College Reflections: The Art of Goal Setting
If I were to sum up my college journey in one word, it would be unpredictable — and as a self-proclaimed perfectionist, nothing is more terrifying. I went into college meticulously planning my every move, from classes to internship opportunities. Full of unforeseeable twists and turns, a lot of which were outside of my control, I learned to pivot and adapt quickly. I graduated from William & Mary last summer and looking back, I realize that a lot of my anxiety in college stemmed from poor goal setting on my end. I put an astronomical amount of grit and self-discipline into everything I work for, whether it’s my professional goals or health goals, and nothing terrifies me more than the thought of all these sacrifices being in vain.
Over time, I recognized the importance of choosing my goals with great prudence in the hopes of obtaining the greatest amount of utility in the long run. So how exactly do I set these goals? How do we know which goals are “right” or “wrong”? Of course, the ultimate goal for every human being is to be happy, however there are various paths to obtaining this optimum level of satisfaction. A different picture comes to mind in each and every individual when it comes to happiness and their ideal life. While most people will naively state that there are no wrong goals, I am here to tell you that there are. “Wrong” goals involve external goals outside of one’s control. Instead, it is crucial to set goals that solely rely on yourself, because at the end of the day that is all you can truly count on. The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of this. Despite the fact that this worldwide crisis uprooted our lives, it is more important than ever to persevere and continue to pursue our goals.
1. Avoid setting materialistic goals.
A breed of “wrong” involves tangible goals outside of your control. Not only will the pursuit of these goals cause immense anxiety, but they leave us lifeless once achieved since there are no more problems to solve. Choose process oriented goals instead. For instance, if your goal is to obtain a post-graduate job with a 6 figure salary at a specific company, consider changing it to a process-oriented goal like obtaining a post-graduate job that has the most potential for growth. This way, you will avoid being disheartened and it will open yourself to new, interesting opportunities that come your way.
2. Set incremental goals.
What you do every single day shapes the life you create for yourself. Setting milestones between now and your ultimate goal will keep yourself on-track and motivated. For example, if your incremental goal is to land an internship, you may want to consider submitting your resume to www.freeresumeedits.com for a free review. Atomic Habits by James Clear is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend picking this up if you want to get better at establishing daily, incremental goals. It is vital to achieve goals in a timely manner, because time is our most valuable asset.
3. Compete with yourself.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, I challenge you to compete with yourself. This way it’s growth that generates happiness, not a long list of arbitrary achievements. It is important to support your peers and competing with them mentally will only attract negative, counterproductive emotions like jealousy. Give and Take by Adam Grant is one of my favorite books and I highly encourage everyone to adopt a giving attitude (as long as it is not detrimental to your own self).
4. Commit to your goals.
There is freedom and liberation in commitment as it hones in your attention and focus. Once you fine-tune your goals, make sure you are continuously working towards it, because action is the cause of motivation. Firm commitment towards your goals also demonstrates confidence.
My worldview is pretty realistic and I truly believe that happiness stems from personal growth. Happiness does not come from facing no problems — it comes from being able to tackle life’s many challenges with a positive attitude. I am so grateful to have learned the lesson of setting “good” goals in college, because it is a tremendously beneficial skill that will be useful for life.
