We all need goals to give ourselves something to shoot for. How can we determine if our goals are, in the first place, attainable, and second, whether we are on track to attaining them? If we find out we are behind schedule or not on track to successful attainment, how do we close the gap? Or if the goal is unrealistic, at what point do we know when to reformulate our goals?
One way to determine whether our goals are attainable is through testing. We can be tested to tell us what we are naturally good at, and what we are naturally weaker at. Being weak in a subject area, such as math, doesn’t mean that it is not attainable, but it may require more hard work than for someone who is naturally skilled at it. Usually, but not always, people enjoy doing what they are good at, and enjoy less what does not come so easily to them.
So let’s say that you know your goal, maybe say to become a doctor. Now the question is, how do you know whether you are cut out for the field and on track to attainment? Work backwards. Look at the characteristics of successful candidates in your field. They don’t faint at the sight of blood. They can handle pressure. They don’t mind working really hard for a really long time. They are patient. They had high GPAs in college (usually). They are skilled in math and science, and mostly have good people skills. If you don’t have those characteristics, maybe you are not cut out for that specific field.
Suppose you hope to attend an elite Ivy League school. Now GPAs need to be close to a perfect 4.0, and test scores need to be in the 95th percentile and above. If you are a student with ambitions for admission to such a highly competitive school, and you are falling short, what should you do? First of all, don’t let things get out of hand. Address the shortfalls as quickly as possible. Use your teachers as a resource by attending class, taking advantage of office hours and coming prepared with questions. Consider hiring a well-qualified, respected tutoring firm, such as Logos Tutoring, to get back on track. Plan on increasing your study time by as much as 50%. Minimize distracters by turning off your phone, instant messaging, television, games and other interferences during your study time. In other words, keep your work time and play time separate. If you keep at the program, you should expect to see some improvement in 2-3 weeks.
Finally, keep in mind that, for many of us, even 110% of our efforts is not going to be enough to get admitted into that highly competitive Ivy League school. The number of highly qualified candidates is simply much greater than the number of available seats. All you can do is do your best and optimize your performance using all available assets, and after that, feel good about the fact that you gave your best efforts. If you are borderline, hedge your bets by considering a first choice option and two or three backup plans. That way you still have opportunities available if your first choice option doesn’t pan out.
Once you have given your best efforts and optimized your resources, if you are still not on track to your goal, it may be time to reformulate your goal. Maybe instead of shooting for that Ivy League school, aim for a good state university. Maybe instead of medicine, a career as a nurse might be more realistic, yet still fulfilling. By resetting your sights on goals that are realistic, you will avoid the inevitable disappointment that will come later. Don’t give up on your dreams. Just don’t forget the connection between your dreams and what you are doing now to get there.