HOW TO SET GOALS

1.  Define the goal.*
2.  Outline the steps needed to achieve it.
3.  Consider possible blocks and ways of dealing with them.
4.  Set deadlines.
*Not every wish can be a goal. For instance, you may wish you could live and stay young forever, but since there's nothing you can do to make that happen, it could never be considered a goal.

In order for something to be a goal:

• It has to be important to you, personally.

• It has to be within your power to make it happen through your own actions.

• It has to be something you have a reasonable chance of achieving.

• It must be clearly defined and have a specific plan of action.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

If you are using the video, ask the first two questions before viewing.

1. Do you ever set goals for yourself? What are some goals you have right now (short term and long-term)?
2. Agree or disagree: It's better to set lower goals than to risk failure by setting higher ones.
3. In the video, Mike Pritchard told a story about a guy sitting in a Hollywood coffee shop waiting to be discovered. What was the point of that story?
4. What's the difference between a wish and a goal?
5. How do you decide what your goals are?
6. Have you ever set a goal that was unrealistic? What happened? What did you learn from that?
7. Is it ever okay to take risks? What kinds of risks are okay? What kinds of risks are not okay?
8. Have you ever gone out on a limb and risked failure in order to achieve a bigger goal? (describe) Are you glad you took that risk?
9. Has there been a time when you turned a failure into a success? (describe) What did you learn from that?
10. What's the difference between failing and being a failure?
11. If you don't accomplish all your goals does that make you a failure?
12. What are some good ways to deal with disappointments?
13. What is your personal definition of success?
14. Is it a good idea to set goals? Why, what do goals do for you?
15. What was most meaningful to you in this video? Why?