Adapted from: "Work Smarter-Not Harder," Balancing Work and Family.  Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service; and Walker, Doris "Katey." Setting Goals for Resource Management and Consumer Purchases. Manhattan, Kansas: Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University, MF-874.Emily Mark & Katey Walker, Goal-setting, Kansas State University, December 1997

Mark, Emily

Walker, Doris K.

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1ManagingTIMEWORK&FAMILY▼FACT SHEET▼Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceSetting Goals to Help Managea Busy LifeWhen you are employed full time and are also a spouse, parent,chauffeur, etc., it is easy to get caught in the trap of trying to doeverything. It is difficult for working parents to finish everythingthat needs to be done. That is why goal setting is so important inmanaging work or time. When too many things are competingfor your time, energy, talents and skills, it is necessary to setgoals. They will help you know where you are going and how youwill get there, and also indicate when you have accomplishedwhat is important to you.Goals are the end results toward which individuals or families arewilling to work. In simple terms, goals are what you want. Theymay be actual things (a new coat or a car), activities (going on atrip), money ($1000 in the bank) or something less tangible(children learning responsibility). Goals develop from values—ourideas about what is important and worthwhile.Advantages of setting goalsThere are many advantages of using goals to guide youractivities. Research in the management area shows that peoplewho set goals and work toward them are happier and feel moresuccessful. By setting goals you can gain:• A sense of direction.• A sense of purpose.• Feelings of success—even when accomplishing very short-termgoals.• Insight into your failures so you can change plans as necessary.Strategy for Reaching GoalsMaybe you think that you are setting goals when you makestatements like:• “I’m going to get up earlier.”• “I’m going to spend more time with my children.”• “I’m going to get more organized.”Have simple statements like these done much to move you in thedirection you want to go? Probably not.Goal setting can be difficult because most of us are not used tothinking in specific, measurable terms. A key element inmanaging your goals is designing a method or strategy forreaching them.Goal-SettingOutdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.2Goal-Setting Strategies1. Identify the goal to be achieved or the problem to besolved.“I feel unfit and unhealthy because I do not get enoughexercise. I need to find 30 minutes each day when I can gofor a walk or run.”2. Obtain information and examine possible courses ofaction.“I could get up one hour earlier in the morning, walk over mynoon hour, walk after work, or walk in the evening.”3. Consider the consequences of each alternative.“Getting up earlier would require getting to bed earlier.Walking over the noon hour would require missing the socialhour at work with friends. Walking after work would meanthat I would have to be organized about supper preparationin the morning before work. Walking in the evening wouldmean less television or other things I do for free time.”4. Select the best one.“I think it would be the least disruptive to my life to walk fora half hour in the evenings. I am going to start next Mondayand walk three days a week.”Through this process you can come up with reasonable ways ofachieving goals.Characteristics of Good GoalsThink through these questions to see if you have a solid goal anda true commitment.• Is your goal realistic? Is the goal practical and personallybelievable? Do you have the resources in terms of time,money, education, etc. to achieve the goal?If your family has a goal of spending more recreation timetogether during the summertime, there would be many waysto achieve this, depending on the amount of money available.Families need to choose realistic goals instead of impossibleones. Even if the goal that costs so much in time, money oreffort is attained, it will not be as satisfying as anticipated.A realistic goal for a family on a tight budget would be toswim together several times a week, or to spend severalweekends camping outdoors. An unrealistic goal would be topurchase a new boat for family recreation, which wouldrequire both parents to take extra part-time jobs. Little time orenergy is left to enjoy the boat.Often it is not possible to achieve all personal goals, at leastnot within a short time.Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.3• Is your goal specific? Is it measurable in real terms? Is yourgoal clear and concise?Some very general goals might be ”to become financiallysecure by age 65 and enjoy life in the process,” or “to earn justenough income to live on and devote your life to publicservice.” The more specifically the goals can be stated, thebetter the chance of achieving them.If your goal is, “to save money,” it may be difficult for youbecause the goal is not very specific. If the goal was, “to put$100 into your savings account on the first day of every monthto buy a washing machine,” you may find it easier to meet thegoal because it is both specific and measurable.•  Does your goal include a completion date? Do you have atime plan to accomplish your goal?Goals are more difficult to complete if you do not have a plan.One helpful way to think about goals is to think in terms of thetime needed to achieve them.If your goal is, ”to thoroughly clean your house within the nextmonth,“ list all the tasks that need to be done and state whenthey will be done. This is an example of a short-term goal, agoal that can be achieved in less than one year. A long-termgoal, such as owning a home, generally takes several years toaccomplish.Short-term goals are often set to meet the ultimate or long-term goal. For example, if early retirement is the long-termgoal, a short-term goal might be to save a sum of money eachyear to ensure adequate retirement income.A related goal might be to choose a place to live afterretirement. A couple might spend their yearly vacation visitingareas where they might want to live when they retire.In addition to both long-term and short-term goals, manypeople find it helpful to set daily objectives. Daily action willbe necessary to move toward a long-term goal. For example,saving all your pennies or nickels at the end of every day canadd up to substantial savings over a period of time.Additionally, setting daily objectives can help you manage yourtime and productivity.Good goals will also be:• Flexible. A good plan is like comfortable shoes. It serves itspurpose and flexes to accommodate the needs of the user.Revisions and modifications may be necessary, especiallywhen working with long-term goals.Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.4For example, if you are saving for a major purchase,unexpected expenses may prevent you from saving $100.00certain months. But, other months you may be able to savemore than $100.00.• Written. Written goals provide a sense of “ownership.”Writing down your goals helps you remember what the familyis striving for and may prevent you from going off track.Measuring your progressStandards are needed to measure progress toward your goals.They tell you “how much is enough,” and indicate when you haveaccomplished what you set out to do.Without standards, it is difficult to tell when goals have beenreached. For example, all family members may agree that theywant a neat house, but have different ideas of what neatness is.Is everything that is worth doing, worth doing well? The answermay be “no” when resources are limited. Individuals sometimesmake plans to achieve certain standards, but later they find theymust make adjustments.Standards should be evaluated in terms of their cost.  They couldbe measured in terms of money, resource usage (including time),or effect on other people. The woman who starts to work outsidethe home may find that the standards for housecleaning, laundry,etc. in her own home must be changed. The standards followedwhen she was a full-time homemaker might require too muchtime and energy now.Standards differ from family to family, as well as amongindividuals within a family.  Each person has different values,goals and resources. Conflict and stress can result when familiestry to develop new standards in order to meet change in theirlives.Setting goals as a familyFamilies will have more than one goal at a time. Because goalscompete with each other and resources are limited, it isnecessary to coordinate some family goals. When familymembers communicate openly with each other, it is easier toagree on goals and standards.Since individuals have competing wants, choices must be made.Deciding which goals and standards are the most attainable anddesirable takes time, thought, and often many discussions.Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.5Families who decide which goals are most important, and thenwork toward achieving them, are more likely to get what theywant from life. Some examples of general family goals are:• Providing adequate education for all family members.• Satisfying personal and family relationships.• Attaining financial security.If possible, the general goals should be defined in specific,measurable terms. “Adequate education” might be defined as:• Saving a specific sum of money for a child’s college education.• Participating in continuing education or leisure-time classes.• Taking a speed-reading course.Goals and standards should be reviewed periodically, or whenchanges in the family situation or outside events occur. A goalthat seemed important at one point in life may not be asimportant five years later.One family goal was to move to a larger home. Several yearslater you may realize that since the children will be grown andgone soon, it may be wiser to stay in the smaller home.Reviewing your goals and standards on a regular basis allows youto keep track of your goals and your progress toward achievingthem.ConclusionSetting goals which are realistic, specific and measurable willhelp you feel happier and more successful. Families should worktogether to set and achieve their goals.Adapted from:“Work Smarter—Not Harder,” Balancing Work and Family.Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University CooperativeExtension Service.Walker, Doris “Katey.” Setting Goals for Resource Managementand Consumer Purchases. Manhattan, Kansas: CooperativeExtension Service, Kansas State University, MF-874.DEVELOPED BY THE “MANAGINGTIME, WORK AND FAMILY” TEAM:Katey Walker, Extension Specialist, FamilyResources & Public PolicyEmily Mark, Extension Specialist , Family &Consumer Sciences, NortheastLaurie Chandler, CED, Shawnee Co.Fran Richmond, CEA, FACS, Osage Co.Denise Sullivan, CEA, FACS, Leavenworth Co.and Support StaffOutdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.6Contents of this publication may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. All other rights are reserved. In each case, credit Emily Mark & Katey Walker, “Managing Time, Work & Family,”Kansas State University, December 1997.Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, Manhattan, KansasMF-2249 December 1997Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended.  Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United StatesDepartment of Agriculture Cooperating, Richard D. Wootton, Associate Director.It is the policy of Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs,services, activities, and materials without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.  Kansas State University is an Affirmative Action employer.  These materials may beavailable in alternative formats.File Code: Family Resource Management—4 CS 12/97—150Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.

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MF2249

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