Grade by Grade
A. Developing the Skills, Strategies, and Habits Needed to Succeed · Skills, Strategies and Habits for Success

Setting Short-, Medium- and Long-Term Goals

A2.1About 70 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can set personal, social, educational and career/life goals.
  • I can link short-term, medium-term and long-term goals so each one builds toward the next.
  • I can write goals that are SMART and include action steps, supports and possible obstacles.
  • I can use what I know about myself, and decision-making strategies, to choose goals that fit me.

Words to know

goal
Something specific you want to achieve and are willing to work toward.
short-term goal
A goal you can reach soon, in this lesson up to about 3 months.
medium-term goal
A goal that takes about 3 months to 2 years.
long-term goal
A goal that takes more than about 2 years, such as a career or completing a program.
SMART goal
A goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
action step
A small, concrete task that moves you toward a goal.
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
A program that lets high school students start training in a skilled trade, usually through co-op.

A wish or a goal?

"I want to be rich." "I want to be a vet." "I want to get better at French."

These are wishes. A wish becomes a goal when you make it specific, connect it to who you are, break it into steps and put dates on them. In the last lesson you learned decision-making strategies. Now you will use them to set goals in every part of your life, and to link today's small steps to the future you want.

Remember from Grades 8 and 9

In Grade 8 and Grade 9 health you wrote SMART fitness goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. In Grade 10 Career Studies you will use SMART for goals in four areas of life, connect short-, medium- and long-term goals, and build each goal around what you know about yourself.

Four areas of goals

The curriculum asks you to set personal, social, educational and career/life goals:

  • Personal: health, skills, hobbies, character. (Learn to cook five meals; run 5 km.)
  • Social: relationships and community. (Join a club; volunteer; stay in touch with family.)
  • Educational: learning and school. (Raise a mark; choose Grade 11 courses; read more.)
  • Career/life: work and your future. (Get a part-time job; job-shadow someone; research a program.)

The curriculum's own examples include volunteering, joining a club or team, choosing courses and seeking part-time work. Remember that Ontario high school students need 40 hours of community involvement to earn their diploma, so a volunteering goal can do double duty.

Four areas of goals (with examples)Personalrun 5 km by June;learn to cook 5 mealsSocialjoin one club;call Grandma weeklyEducationalraise math to 75%;choose Grade 11 coursesCareer/lifeget a part-time job;job-shadow a nurse
Goals in all four areas help keep your life balanced. Most people have a mix.

Three time frames

Goals also differ in how long they take. In this course we'll use:

  • Short-term: up to about 3 months. (Raise my math mark this term.)
  • Medium-term: about 3 months to 2 years. (Get a summer job; choose a pathway for Grade 11 and 12.)
  • Long-term: more than about 2 years. (Become a certified electrician; finish a college program; start a business.)

Different books and teachers use slightly different cut-offs. What matters is that your goals are linked: short-term goals are the steps toward medium-term goals, which are the steps toward long-term goals. A long-term goal with no short-term steps is still a wish.

Goal time framesShort-termup to about3 monthse.g. this term's markMedium-termabout 3 monthsto 2 yearse.g. a summer jobLong-termmore than2 yearse.g. a career or programtodaySources vary on the exact cut-offs; what matters is linking the three.
Short-, medium- and long-term goals form a chain from today into your future.

Building a strong goal

A strong goal has five parts:

  1. The SMART goal statement. "By January 29, I will raise my math mark from 64% to at least 70% by doing practice questions four nights a week and going to extra help once a week."
  2. Why it matters to me. Connect it to your interests, values and long-term goals. ("I need a strong math mark for the Grade 11 courses that lead to the college program I want.")
  3. Action steps with dates. Small enough to start this week.
  4. Supports. Who and what can help? (A teacher, a tutor, a family member, an online practice site.)
  5. Possible obstacles and a plan for each. ("If I have a shift, I'll do my practice questions before work.")

Use self-knowledge. Good goals fit you: your interests, strengths, values and circumstances. Your Individual Pathways Plan (IPP) asks "Who am I?" before it asks "What is my plan?" for a reason. A goal chosen because a friend chose it, or because it sounds impressive, is much harder to stick with.

Use different perspectives. Before you finalize a big goal, run it past someone: a guidance counsellor, family member, teacher, coach, employer, Elder or knowledge keeper. They may see a step or obstacle you missed.

Worked example

Let's build Kai's goal ladder

Kai (Grade 10) likes fixing things, did well in his Grade 9 technology course, and enjoys working with his hands. After researching trades with his guidance counsellor, he has a long-term goal: become a certified electrician. Build a chain of short-, medium- and long-term goals, and write one SMART short-term goal.

  1. Check the long-term goal against self-knowledge: it matches his interests (fixing things), strengths (technology) and values (he wants hands-on work and to earn while he learns). Good fit.
  2. Medium-term goals: take a Grade 11 technology course; get a summer job; in Grade 12, a co-op placement with an electrical contractor, possibly through OYAP (the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program).
  3. After high school: register as an apprentice and complete the required work hours and in-school training.
  4. Short-term goal (this month): learn about OYAP and co-op at his school.
  5. Make it SMART: "By October 30, I will meet with my guidance counsellor to learn how OYAP and co-op work at my school, and write down the three steps I need to take in Grade 11." Specific (OYAP and co-op), Measurable (meeting held, three steps written), Achievable (one meeting), Relevant (leads to his long-term goal), Time-bound (October 30).
  6. Supports and obstacles: support: his counsellor and his uncle, who works in construction. Obstacle: he's nervous about booking the meeting. Plan: book it online or ask his teacher to help him book it.

Kai's ladder runs from this month (meet the guidance counsellor about OYAP and co-op) to Grade 11 (technology course, summer job), Grade 12 (co-op), after high school (apprenticeship) and finally his long-term goal (certified electrician).

Kai's goal ladder (each step builds on the one before)This monthmeet guidanceabout OYAP, co-opGrade 11technology course;summer jobGrade 12co-op withan electricianAfter schoolapprenticeship +in-school trainingLong-term goalcertifiedelectrician
Each step on Kai's ladder is a goal in itself and a step toward the next. The top step is his long-term goal.
Worked example

Let's turn wishes into SMART goals

Rewrite each wish as a SMART goal: (a) "I want to be more social." (b) "I want to get a job."

  1. (a) Specific: what does "more social" mean? Join one club. Measurable: attend meetings. Achievable: one club, not five. Relevant: I've felt lonely since my friend moved. Time-bound: by a date.
  2. SMART (a): "By the end of September, I will join the school's environment club and attend at least three of its meetings before Thanksgiving."
  3. (b) Specific: what kind of job, how many hours? Measurable: number of applications. Achievable: realistic hours with school. Relevant: saving for a laptop and building experience. Time-bound: a date.
  4. SMART (b): "By March 31, I will write a résumé, have a family member check it, and apply to at least five part-time jobs (up to 10 hours a week) within walking or bus distance."

Each SMART goal says exactly what, how much, and by when, and why it matters, so you can tell whether you have done it.

Just for fun

I set a goal to stop procrastinating.

I'll start tomorrow.

(If that one made you wince, try a goal with a date on it. "Tomorrow" is not a date.)

Hands-on activity

My four-area goal plan

You need: paper and coloured pencils (or a digital document), your success inventory from the first lesson, and a family member or trusted adult to talk with.

  1. Write one goal in each area: personal, social, educational, career/life. Make sure at least one is short-term, one medium-term and one long-term.
  2. Rewrite each one as a SMART goal.
  3. For your long-term goal, draw a goal ladder with at least four steps from now to the goal.
  4. For one short-term goal, add the five parts: why it matters to you, action steps with dates, supports, and possible obstacles with a plan for each.
  5. Share your plan with a family member or trusted adult. Ask: Does this goal fit me? What step am I missing?
  6. If your school uses an online Individual Pathways Plan tool, add your goals there.

What to look for: four goals, all SMART, a mix of time frames, a ladder where each step clearly leads to the next, and at least one obstacle with a specific plan.

Your turn

1

What does SMART stand for?

2

Name the four areas of goals in this course and give an example of each.

3

Classify by time frame: (a) finish a college program in 2030 (b) pass Friday's quiz (c) save enough for a used bike by next summer.

4

Why should short-term goals be linked to long-term goals?

5

Rewrite as a SMART goal: "I want to read more."

6

What are the five parts of a strong goal from this lesson?

7

How many hours of community involvement do Ontario students need to earn their high school diploma?

More practice: warm-up

1

Is "become a teacher" a short-, medium- or long-term goal for a Grade 10 student?

2

Which letter of SMART is missing from "I will run 5 km without stopping"?

3

What is an action step?

4

Which plan asks "Who am I?" before "What is my plan?"

5

What does OYAP stand for?

More practice: on your own

1

Explain what is wrong with this goal and fix it: "I will get 100% in every course this year."

2

Nora wants to become a nurse. Write one short-term, one medium-term and one long-term goal that link together.

3

Why is it important that a goal fits your own interests and values?

4

A student's goal is "Get a part-time job by March 1." Name two possible obstacles and a plan for each.

5

How could a decision-making strategy from the last lesson help a student choose which long-term goal to set?

Challenge

1

Write a complete five-part goal (SMART statement, why it matters, action steps with dates, supports, obstacles with plans) for a social goal of your choice.

2

Some people argue that teens shouldn't set long-term career goals because they will probably change their minds. Do you agree? Explain.

3

Draw (or describe) a goal ladder of at least five steps for a long-term goal in a field you are curious about. Explain how each step leads to the next.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What does the T in SMART stand for?

2.

Which is a long-term goal for a Grade 10 student?

3.

Which goal is the most SMART?

4.

Joining the school's robotics club is an example of which area of goal?

5.

Why should short-term goals link to long-term goals?

6.

How many community involvement hours do Ontario students need for their diploma?

7.

Which question should come before choosing a career goal, according to the IPP approach?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation A2.1 asks students to apply decision-making strategies to set personal, social, educational and career/life goals, and to evaluate and revise them as they learn more about themselves. The curriculum's teacher prompts include the differences among short-, medium- and long-term goals and the value of seeking different perspectives.

How to help: Ask your teen to explain their goal ladder. Share the steps you took toward your own work or life goals, including detours. Help with the practical steps: booking a guidance appointment, finding volunteer opportunities, checking a résumé.

Common difficulties:

  • Goals that are wishes (no dates, no steps). Ask, "What will you do this week?"
  • Goals that are too big or too many. One goal per area is plenty.
  • Choosing a career goal by salary or prestige alone. Ask how it fits their interests and values.

The example dates are illustrations; your teen's school calendar and course-selection deadlines will set the real ones.