Breaking goals into manageable steps can help school-age children meet their goals. Review the steps below and think about other ways Haley could accomplish her goal.

Step 1:
Decide on a goal

Pick a goal that is specific and realistic.

Step 2:
Make a timeline

Pick a time in the future that the goal should be completed by.

Step 3:
Organize into manageable steps

小,可以更容易accompl短期目标ish. Set steps toward making the goal happen.

Step 4:
Set your reward

Pick a reward that matches the importance of a goal.

Step 5:
Check your progress

Check your progress regularly throughout the timeline of the goal.

Step 6:
Reevaluate

If needed, reevaluate the goal to see if the goal is realistic or too easy, or if it could be changed.

Haley's Goal

Haley is an 11-year-old child who has come to you with a problem and would like to fix it. You decide to work with her to help set a goal. Read through Haley’s information and as you review Haley’s Goal Worksheet, pretend that you are talking to Haley through each step of her goal setting.

I would like to feel better about myself by becoming more physically active. I’m not sure how to get started. I do like to play basketball and dance. I really don’t like the exercises we have to do in gym class though. I would like to be more physically active by the end of summer because I am thinking of trying out for cheerleading next school year. It is March now, so I think I have enough time. I could record my progress in a notebook.

Haley's Goal Setting

My goal is:To become more physically active

I would like to complete my goal by this date:August 15th(today’s date is March 20th)

To make my goal easier, I will break it up into the following steps.

1. Attend the aerobic dance class twice a week.

2. Join a recreational basketball league.

My reward for completing this goal will be:A you-can-do-it certificate from my after-school program. And a gift certificate for cheer supplies.

I will check my progress 5 times throughout the timeline of my goal. I will record my progress here:

April 5 - I found an aerobics dance class and have attended twice weekly. I am looking for a basketball team to join.

May 10 - I recruited friends to play basketball twice a week.

June 7 - I dropped down to once a week for aerobics dance. My friends don't like basketball as much as me, so I found a league at the YWCA.

July 8 - I love my basketball league!

August 10 - Basketball is great, but only once a week. My aerobics dance class is really expensive and it's hard to travel there too. Need to think about another activity to add.

If I am having a hard time completing my goal, I will see if I can make changes. I will record my ideas here and if needed, set a new goal.

April 8 - I haven't found a basketball league--I wonder if my friends might want to play basketball too? I will ask them.

May 13 - Basketball is fun! We laugh a lot! But we don't play as often as I thought we would. I will continue to look for a league.

August 12 - I am so glad I joined my basketball league, but I need to drop aerobics and add another activity. I heard I can join the indoor pool at school for a small fee. I now plan to swim on Saturdays. I feel great about sticking to my goal!