Motivation And Goal Setting Worksheet

1. What are your life time goals?

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2. What are your goals for the next three to five years?

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3. What are your goals for this coming academic year?

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4. What are the things you need to do in order to accomplish this year's goals?

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5. Now list the things you will do this week, and the things you will do today that relate to your goals for this year. These may be specific course assignments, talking to your professor, or opportunities for starting some volunteer work. To this list then add anything else that you want to accomplish during the day or week. (laundry, shopping, letter writing, etc.) You now have a "to do" list!

1. To-Do List
   

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2. Now ask yourself which of these activities you really enjoy doing. Which do you find a drag? Which do you avoid doing at all? How many of the things that are "a drag" relate to your life time goals? If you find that much of your course work at university is "a drag," check below for ways to make these subjects more interesting.
3. What are the consequences of achieving these goals? (e.g. How will I feel? What are the rewards? What will others think of me?) Some consequences will be extrinsic (fame and fortune) while others will be intrinsic (self-actualization and mastery). Go back and note the consequences for each goal. Are there ways to supplementing the consequences to heighten your motivation?
   Extrinsic
   • money
   • marks
   • praise
   Intrinsic
   • mastery
   • self-actualization
   • joy from doing a good job

   While we are on consequences, keep in mind that some consequences are pleasurable and others are aversive. While aversive consequences can be very motivating for escape and avoidance, pleasurable ones are more helpful for building positive behaviors.

   Pleasurable
   • money
   • marks
   • praise
   Aversive
   • escape from failure
   • avoiding criticism
   • stopping ridicule

   Consequences can be immediate or delayed. Consequences serve as more effective motivators if they are immediate.

Immediate

• coffee breaks
• free to socialize
• feel good

Delayed

• scholarship
• acceptance into a co-op program
• parents will be happy