Skilled Migrant Professionals December 2015 | Page 33

Motivation Goal Setting For Young IMMIGRANTS How you can achieve your desires and dreams W hen I was approached to write about goal setting for young immigrants, I did not think there was anything special about the topic – it’s easy By to set goals, isn’t it? When I started writing, however, I realised that Dr Moses there were many factors to consider. Whether it’s for their level of education, G Adepoju, Director of migration experience, life exposure, family background, relationships, or financAustralian Coaching es, young immigrants need to know how to set attainable goals. Academy I first had to question, how can we define goals to young people from diverse backgrounds? The concept of goal setting and its significance is very important to get young migrants started in life. As human beings, we all have desires, dreams, and goals to achieve something. The Career key questions, however, are what is the difference between the desire, dream, and goal? And -Undergo job training how do we go about separating them? -Design a career path Desire is an emotional response in which a person feels, wants or wishes for something; a -Reduce stress on the job dream is a cherished ambition, thought or aspiration; and a goal is when you aim to achieve -Rejuvenate your career your desire or dream. As the topic suggests, goals are something you are trying to achieve. It -Get a raise or a promotion may be anything in life – small or big, short-term or long-term. -Start your own business -Get a better job -Be more productive at work HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GOALS Setting goals is the first step towards turning your dreams or desires into reality. It gives you the overall direction, however, to achieve your goals, forward thinking is required. The goal-setting process must follow the procedures according to the ‘SMART theory’. This translates to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timeframe – everything a successful goal should include. Specific Your goals must be specific and call for action. What is it that you want to achieve? To make it more manageable, you must be specific about what you want or desire. For example, your goal could be to study. This is subject to interpretation and open to mean anything. A goal should be concrete and not open to guessing or speculation. You must also write down your goals so you do not forget. Measurable Your goals must be measurable to ascertain success. You must also be able to measure the progress of your goals to determine if you are on track to achieving them. It is highly important to keep track of your success or failure. Achievable Your goals must be achievable because setting unrealistic goals will lead to a failure. Some people set impressive goals without considering their strengths, resources and time factors; therefore, they set themselves up for failure. Realistic Being realistic about your goals is being honest with your strengths and weaknesses, and realising what is possible and what is not possible. For example, you cannot attain a teaching position without having ever been a student, because it is not possible to be an effective teacher without understanding how to teach or be taught. Time Limit An effective goal requires a starting time and a deadline. A goal without a deadline often leads to failure because an indefinitely timed situation will result in difficulty measuring progress and success. Relationship -Socialise more -Get closer to family -Get closer to friends -Create a satisfying personal relationship Health & Fitness -Weight loss -Walk or ride to work -Get a personal trainer -Buy a gym membership -Find a good way to motivate yourself -Buy new shoes -Buy a work outfit Financial -Invest more regularly -Buy a home -Set up and follow a budget -Obtain insurance -Earn more money -Build financial reserves -Save more -Face a money challenge -Create a lifetime money plan Other -Live more congruently with core values -Complete a special project -Practice patience -Lead a more spiritual life -Begin recovery -Express more gratitude -Create a new life vision -Take more responsibility -Express creativity December 2015 | www.smpmagazine.com.au 33