2. 2
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 5,
10, 15+ years from now.
● What do you need to do in
one month, one year, five
years to get to your long-
term goal?
3. 3
Prioritizing Your Goals
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.
How do you decide what to do first?
How do you adjust your goals?
Prioritize!
5. 5
Long-Term Goal: Run a Marathon
Sample short-term goals:
● Develop a training plan
● Save money for new running
shoes, clothes, and race entry fees.
● Start eating healthier.
● Complete in a 5K race in 4 months
● Complete a 10K race in 8 months.
● Complete a half-marathon in 12
months.
Once students have shared their brand statements, and identified similarities, work as a group to identify specific action items that can lead them to their desired brand.
Remind students that while some action items may seem long-term, they should develop smaller steps that will help them build to their long-term goals.
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 5, 10, 15+ years from now.
Think about what you need to do in 5 years, in one year, and in 1-month to get to your long-term goal. These are short-term goals.
Write down what you need to do each day, week, and/or month to achieve your goals.
Prioritizing Your Goals
How do you decide what to do first? How do you adjust your goals? Prioritize, which 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.
Being flexible is important. Change your focus on goals as your life changes.
If necessary, remind students of Covey’s Time Management Grid, discussed with Learning Styles in Week 2.
· Quadrant I is for the immediate and important deadlines.
· Quadrant II is for long-term strategizing and development.
· Quadrant III is for time-pressured distractions. They are not really important, but someone wants it now.
· Quadrant IV is for those activities that yield little is any value. These are activities that are often used for taking a break from time pressured and important activities.
Here, you could use one of your personal goals and the short-term steps you took to achieving it.
Alternatively, here is another example:
· Long-term goal: I want to complete a marathon.
Here are some corresponding short-term goals:
· Develop a training plan
· Save money for new running shoes, clothes, and race entry fees.
· Start eating healthier.
· Complete in a 5K race in 4 months
· Complete a 10K race in 8 months.
· Complete a half-marathon in 12 months.
Image: Meb Keflezighi crosses the 2014 Boston Marathon finish line first.
Transition to the assignment: 5 year action plan
Assignment: Your 5-Year Action Plan
Consider the brand statement you drafted in class, as well as the action items discussed as a group. Using these drafts, discussion, and the reading, develop a 5-year action plan that will detail your individual progress towards your desired personal brand. The timeframe you use for your action plan is up to you. Week? Month? Year? A combination?
Use this template as a starting point for your 5-year plan. Duplicate as necessary.
