Page 68 - Keys to College Success

was expected,” determining what you want may require some digging. “What are you
there to learn? What do you want to experience?” asks Pavlina. If you can imagine your
ideal college experience, he notes, you are “pre-programming yourself to succeed.” 2
Your personal mission can be spelled out in a mission statement, defined by Dr. Stephen
Covey as a philosophy outlining what you want to be (character), the rewards you aim for
(contributions and achievements), and the principles by which you live (your values). For
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example, this mission statement was written by Keys to Success author Carol Carter:
My mission is to use my talents and abilities to help people of all ages, stages,
backgrounds, and economic levels achieve their human potential through fully
developing their minds and their talents. I aim to create opportunities for others
through work, service, and family. I also aim to balance work with people in
my life, understanding that my family and friends are a priority above all else.
Think of your mission as a road map for your personal journey. It can give meaning
to your daily activities, promote responsibility, and encourage you to take risks that lead
you toward the long-term rewards you’ve laid out. In the Get Creative exercise and at
the end of this chapter, you will explore your college experience and personal mission.
Keep both flexible and open to revision so that they can change over time as you do.

Looking Short Term and Long Term
Long-term goals, such as earning a degree or having a particular career, outline the
rewards you want in a way that reflects who you are and what you value. Defining
such rewards in terms of the risks needed to achieve them—in other words, the steps
that will take you toward them—makes them more achievable. For example, suppose
your long-term goal is to become a family doctor and expose young people in your
community to the medical field. Two years away from college graduation, you might
prepare to move toward this reward with these one-year, long-term goals:

■ Investigate medical practices in the area that could serve as a model for my business.
■ Research medical schools for application next year.

To determine long-term goals, consider the values that anchor your personal mission.
For example, if you value health and fitness, possible long-term goals include working for
an organic food company or training as a physical therapist. The stronger the link
between your values and long-term goals, the more
motivated and successful you are likely to be in
achieving them.
Short-term goals narrow your focus and
encourage progress toward long-term goals. They
can last for as long as several months or as little as
an hour. For example, if you have a long-term goal
of getting a nursing degree, you might set these
short-term goals for the next six months:
■ I will learn the names, locations, and functions
of every human bone and muscle.
■ I will work with a study group to understand
the muscular-skeletal system.
You can break down these goals into even
smaller parts, such as the following one-month
goals:

■ I will use on-screen tutorials of the muscular-
skeletal system to memorize the material.
■ I will spend three hours a week with my study Achieving academic goals requires focus. It helps to find a place to work that
has the materials and technology you need and offers minimal distractions.
partners.

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