Setting Goals

The Goal Setting Challenge

Annual Goals   

This discussion will focus on setting annual goals for the next year. In this discussion, each person will have the opportunity to talk about their goals, and the group will then schedule future check-ins. 

Pre-Discussion Preparation 

We have included the following activity to help you prepare for the discussion:  

  • Look back over the goals you might want to set in the categories of vocation, relationships, and mind-body. Choose 1–2 goals in each category that you want to set for the next year.  

Discussion Questions 

Below is a series of questions that may help facilitate your discussion. There is no need to answer every question; instead, feel free to focus on the questions that members of your group seem most excited about. 

  • What are the goals you have chosen for this year? Why are they meaningful to you? 

  • How can we help each other accomplish these goals?  

  • How often do we want to check in with each other?  

  • When will our next meeting be? 

Post-Discussion Activities 

Below are a few activities that you can complete after the discussion to deepen your learning and to help you set annual goals:  

  • 1-year goals: In light of your group discussion, adjust your annual goals if you want to.   

  • Team meetings: Write down what your team has decided about when and how to meet.  

  • Milestones: Set 1–3 milestones for your first check-in, which will happen during Discussion 5. These milestones should be reasonable based on the amount of time until your next check-in, and they should be directly related to one or more annual goals you have set.   

  • Daily practice: Look through your lists of potential daily practices and choose one to start doing. 

Overview Video Research

  1. Epton, T., Currie, S., & Armitage, C. J. (2017). Unique effects of setting goals on behavior change: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(12), 1182–1198. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000260 

  2. Matthews, G. (2011). Study backs up strategies for achieving goals. Dominican University. https://www.dominican.edu/dominicannews/study-highlights-strategies-for-achieving-goals 

  3. Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2007). A new look at habits and the habit-goal interface. Psychological Review, 114(4), 843–863. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.843 

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