When I came to college, I was ready to soak up anything and everything. I knew I wanted to accomplish something, but I didn’t exactly have any goals yet; this was mostly because I was unsure about what I wanted for myself academically and professionally.
I planned to study either psychology, philosophy, sociology, political science, gender and women’s studies, or African-American studies. So of course, when I ultimately decided on anthropology and English, I was completely confused about how this would relate to my future as a professional.
I knew that English was one of my best subjects, and it permitted me to read lots of incredible books, while anthropology provided me with the opportunity to become well-versed in different cultures around the world. However, these subjects also gave me the opportunity to pursue the hidden dream I’d harbored to be journalist, which allowed me to leverage my strong communication skills as well as my cross-cultural knowledge.
These goals would ultimately fulfill my future education and professional goals. Now I am in fall quarter of my junior year, and I have set short-term goals for myself that will help me get closer to those long-term goals. As a result, I’ve seen the positive impact these ambitions have had on my academic and professional successes.
According to the scientists who created goal-setting theory, a goal becomes more effective if it is specific and moderately difficult yet still attainable. For example, getting into the UW was a specific, moderately difficult goal for me. Achieving my goal affirmed my self-confidence to pursue future goals.
Personally, I’ve always had the aspiration to be a writer. By setting clear goals and having formative experiences in my English and anthropology classes, this once far-fetched longing has turned into a serious professional objective.
My interest in English and anthropology directed me to the specific, challenging goal of wanting to write for the student newspaper. It wasn’t easy, but I applied to be a writer, enrolled myself in the development class as soon as possible, and frequently made the point to ask my editors for feedback. Before I knew it, I was writing four or five articles a week.
Once I was able to conquer that goal, I could focus on more ambitious goals, such as becoming an editor. I now have dreams of surpassing these positions and working at a larger newspaper one day. Specifically, in the near future I have the goal of getting an internship with Real Change, and pursuing music journalism on the side for publications such as Mat Magazine. I believe having these particular goals in mind will help me reach them, and once I achieve these, I know I will continue to set higher-level goals for myself.
In short, surpassing smaller objectives built my confidence and allowed me to fulfill my long-term goals. After transcending a barrier that had once seemed too tall, I am more likely to continue surpassing even taller barriers. Studies on goal setting note the value of setting high goals and working toward them, even if the goal seems too difficult or is never reached at the time.
“There is accumulating evidence … that a singular focus on the feasibility of goals does not necessarily promote goal striving,” three respected social psychologists, Traci Mann, Kentaro Fujita, and Denise de Ridder, wrote in an article about self-regulation and behavior. “Unrealistic goals may actually inspire, rather than compromise, goal pursuit.”
Zoe Frumin, a community, environment, and planning (CEP) student and co-manager of Student Food Cooperative (SFC), shined light on what it was like for her to develop an interest in food and sustainability.
“I just always liked food, but I think through different classes I took at the UW, I started thinking about the difference we could make as individuals,” Frumin said.
After starting her work at the SFC as a freshman, she learned about the CEP major from fellow SFC members. Her interest in food, sparked by her UW education, inspired her to develop goals in the subject. After taking on a position at the UW farm her sophomore year, Frumin felt more comfortable taking leadership positions in other campus communities related to food.
“I was interested in the co-op and the people in it,” Frumin shared. “I was ready to take ownership and give back to the co-op community.”
She ended up applying for the co-manager position at the SFC the same time she applied to the CEP major, and was accepted to both. As a result, she gained confidence in the goals she’d already accomplished, and became more self-assured in the field she plans to go into despite the occasional self-doubt we all tend to feel from time to time.
“As I’ve accumulated these experiences, I’ve been able to establish myself and build the confidence that I’m where I’m supposed to be,” Frumin said.
Similarly to my experience with writing, Frumin’s journey toward figuring out what she wanted to study was a process. However, once she got a hunch of a subject she was fascinated by, she tailored her experiences to reach those goals.
Her goals related to her field have since pushed her to follow through with her passions and follow principles of the goal-setting theory as well as other goal research, particularly the idea that setting high standards seems to lead to higher levels of success.
Reach Opinion Editor Rebecca Gross at wellness@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
