Habits & Goals

Many times it is difficult to start a good habit or to break a bad habit; using goals is a great way to do either of these things. There are three main types of goals: short term, intermediate, and long term. Short term targets can help you stay focused on things that are happening now. Longer term objectives help to keep you focused on the ultimate prize you are aiming for. Sometimes it is complex to keep the ultimate result in mind when starting the long journey of self-improvement. Having many small objectives can make getting to the ultimate target easier.

The first type of aspiration is short term. This means that you set your goals to be in the very near future. An example of a short term target would be some measure of a long term target. For instance if you are trying to lose weight, you might set an aim of 10 pounds in a month. Since this is a smaller venture, for many people it is much easier to accomplish. It doesn’t seem like such a stretch as losing 100 pounds. Shorter term endeavors are often helpful because they allow you to take a larger project and break it down into manageable pieces, making them much easier to handle.

Another type of goal setting is to have intermediate aspirations. These are slightly longer than short term, but do not fall into the long term category. For example, an intermediate project may be getting through the semester in school with an “A”. Since typical semesters are usually anywhere from 3-6 months, this is certainly not short term, but definitely not long term. Usually it helps to create small aspirations to get intermediate ones accomplished. For example, a way of getting through the semester with an “A”, a smaller endeavor may be to study for the upcoming test. Each small project that is achieved will help you achieve the ultimate result of getting through the semester with an “A”.

The final type of way you can get things accomplished is to set your goals for the long term. These types of targets are those that take the longest to achieve. For example, using the previous scenario of doing well in school, the short term objective is to do the homework assignments and prepare for the upcoming test. The intermediate ambition would be to get an “A” in the semester. Your long term purpose would be to get your degree. This is something that can not be realized in a small amount of time; it is something that takes years to accomplish.

Now that these types of goals have been defined, learning how to use each type is necessary to reaching the desired end result. The ideal situation is to use the shorter term endeavors to help you achieve intermediate ones. These intermediate achievements then become stepping stones to the larger, longer term triumphs. For example, becoming a more organized person is a great project. However, looking at a huge pile of papers is not conducive to huge spurts of motivation. On the other hand, if you separate the papers into smaller piles to go through a little at a time, it is a little easier to get things done. Make sure to congratulate yourself for each win because you will soon begin to see the progress. As the stacks of paper begin to disappear, you will realize how much work has gone into your project and that it was easier than you thought. This is the importance of short term and intermediate goals. These can help you achieve lifetime aspirations.