The Power of Self Acknowledgment and Goal Setting for Success

Welcome to the first few weeks of the semester…or the start of your quarter system! This post will include some helpful tips and reminders for the stress of a new school year. You can even remind yourself of these points when you are searching for that summer internship or post-graduate job.

Reminder #1 → I want you to be proud of everything you have done to get this far. Starting college…finishing college…wherever you are on your journey, you have done incredible things to get here. We don’t acknowledge ourselves enough for the hard work we put in. Think of some accomplishments you’re proud of. Did you ace a paper, lead a campus group, or set healthy boundaries? Even small wins—like remembering to stay hydrated—are worth celebrating. 

Reminder #2 → You do not need to be perfect, you are exactly where you need to be. One of those soft skills many of us tend to bring up in an interview is that we are perfectionists. That is okay, but in the scenario of an interview…some might call it overused. Perfection doesn’t exist, and striving for it often leads to disappointment. Instead of rushing to make everything perfect, focus on progress and being present. 

Reminder #3 → Now, let’s shift to goal setting—a key part of personal and academic success. I recently listened to a keynote that reminded me that people who set goals are more successful. To go even further, it was found in a study by Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University of California that people who write their goals down are even more likely to achieve them than those who merely conceptualize them. For more information on her study, click here for a short article summarizing the key points.On a broader scale, writing down goals helps clarify what you really want to accomplish. This helps you be more specific, while also bringing a sense of accountability. By continuously seeing the goal written down, you are essentially memorizing and internalizing it. I have found the best practice for goal setting is to implement SMART goals. If you remember these from growing up or even some of your courses, get to it. But if not, this acronym stands for setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. If you would like some further guidance on SMART goals, we recommend looking through this article from Forbes advisors.

To wrap us up…Remember:

1. Be proud of everything you have done to get this far
2. You are exactly where you need to be
3. Food is fuel. If you are fueling your body, your mind will be able to think more clearly
4. Write down your goals
1. Why not start by setting a goal for something academic you’d like to achieve by December?