When thinking about what goals you want to achieve, whether short or long term, aim to understand the root of these goals. People who set realistic goals and expectations have higher self esteems. You can ask yourself the following questions:  What is the root of my goal? When did it develop? Why do I want to achieve this goal? Is it based on my desires or someone else’s (e.g. partner, parent, teacher)? Can I realistically achieve this goal based on my personality and past experience? What is the purpose of achieving this goal? What is most important to you? Perhaps your job or your relationship. Focus on the top three things that matter in your life and make sure that you are giving your time and energy to those activities. If you have time and energy to do more activities, add them in gradually. Aim for a good balance.  For example, you might say that your top three priorities are your family, job, and choir. Schedule weekly quality family time. Make sure you sleep enough to do well at your job. Plan to have a babysitter on choir nights. Other priorities for a university student might be gaining entrance to medical school, being a good student government leader, and staying fit. In this case, plan out your study times for the MCAT. Also, put your student government meetings in your calendar in advance. Map out your work out times. It is possible that at some times, like the week before your MCAT exam, you must focus even more on just one priority. When you set goals or want to change things about yourself, keep in mind that change does not happen overnight. Strive instead to set mini goals as you work towards a larger goal. Also realize that achieving your goal likely has a few consequences but will not necessarily impact your entire life. For instance, if you want to lose weight, focus on the health benefits of weight loss first. Do not automatically assume it will improve your personal relationships or overall happiness.  For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to lose forty pounds this year,” try instead to lose one pound per week for one month. After this time, reassess your situation and make another mini goal. If your goal is gaining entrance into medical school, set mini goals and tasks, like enrolling in organic chemistry, anatomy, molecular biology, and other courses. Then, focus on doing well in your courses. Eventually, add the goal of acing the MCAT. After this, you can add tasks like writing your essays, receiving recommendation letters, gathering transcripts, etc.

Summary:
Discover the driving forces of your goals. Prioritize what matters. Set realistic goals.