Tomiwa Adedayo
UNIV 1001-01 - AY2025-T1
Learning Journal Unit 7
Reflection Topic: Goal-Setting
As you read about in the textbook this week, goal-setting is an important strategy to manage
your time and stay on track with your education. Reflect on the importance of goal-setting,
and answer the following questions:
1. Briefly, share a time when you set a goal and did not accomplish it, and then share a time whe
n you set a goal and successfully achieved it. Why weren’t you successful in your first exampl
e? Why were you successful in your second example?
2. Why does effective goal-setting help us achieve goals? What are the characteristics of good g
oals?
3. Based on your answer to questions 1 and 2, set three goals: one short-term, one mid-term, and
one long-term
Your writing for this week should be between 300 and 500 words.
1. Goal-setting: A Path to Purposeful Living
➢ A couple of months ago, I had an exam in 3 weeks. I made up my mind
to study every day between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Till the final week of the
exam, that was when I realised that I had barely followed through with
my planned study routine. The results of this uncommitted and inconsis
tent study character are reflected in the outcome of the examination.
➢ There was a time I organised a training program to teach the younger o
nes around me about live audio production. I did not have enough time
to prepare for it because the training date could not be extended. I was
able to prepare research materials, consult with professionals on the jo
b, take out time daily to compile the resources I had into a good presen
tation, and get equipment. The training program was much more succ
essful than I had anticipated.
Why weren’t you successful in your first example?
I was not successful because I did not map out a proper plan for achieving my
set goal. I was also not fully committed to it because I allowed other things or
distractions to take priority over the goal of coming out excellently well in the
exam.
Why were you successful in your second example?
I was successful in accomplishing this because I had a better preparation plan
understood the importance and urgency of the programme, and was fully co
mmitted to it for this reason.
2. Effective goal-setting is instrumental in helping us achieve our
objectives for several reasons:
★ It provides clarity and direction. When we set a goal, we define what w
e want to achieve and create a roadmap to get there. This clarity elimi
nates ambiguity and keeps us focused.
★ Setting specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SM
ART) goals allows us to gauge our progress. We can track our achievem
ents and make necessary adjustments along the way.
★ Effective goal-setting is motivating. It ignites a sense of purpose and de
termination, pushing us to take action.
What are the characteristics of good goals?
❖ Good goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bou
nd.
❖ They are well-defined and clear, unlike vague goals like "get good grad
es," which lack precision.
❖ Measurable goals, such as "study for six hours daily," enable us to trac
k progress quantitatively.
❖ Attainable goals are motivating, whereas unrealistic ones can cause fru
stration.
❖ Relevant goals align with our values and long-term objectives.
❖ Time-bound goals create urgency and commitment, making achieveme
nt more likely.
3. I am setting these goals:
➔ Short-term: I will develop my capacity by reading a book e
very week.
➔ Mid-term: I will complete my UoPeople course with an exc
ellent grade of 4.98 by being committed to completing class
es by Sunday evening and collaborating better with colleag
ues.
➔ Long-term: I will attend a technical university to obtain har
dware skills in the computer engineering field to further my
skillset before going to the U.S. or Germany to work with NV
IDIA or TESLA.
