Dated Achievable Personal Positive Specificgoals

GoalsYouWanttoAchieve(DAPPS)–LessonPlan

Dated•Achievable•Personal•Positive•SpecificGoals

Purpose:Toofferstudentsthemeansofcreatingthestepping-stonesoflongandshorttermgoalsfor achievingtheirdreams.

Description: Studentswilllearnthefivequalitiesofeffectivegoals.GoalsmustbeDated,Achievable,Personal, Positive,andSpecific.WritingeffectivegoalswillbeanimportantskillforcompletingtheMyLife PlanActivity.

Objective:StudentswillbeabletowritegoalsthatfollowtheDAPPSruleofeffectivegoalsandbeableto applythemtotheMyLifePlan,oranyothersituationinlifeinvolvinglongandshort-termgoals.

Materials:Copiesoftheform“Goalsyouwanttoachievebytakingthisclass”(attached).

Totaltime:Approximately20minutes

Procedure/Directions:

1.Explainthefollowingtotheclass:(approximately5minutes)Effectivegoalsneedfivequalities. DAPPSisan acronymforrememberingthefivequalitiesforeffectivegoalsofDated,Achievable,Personal,Positiveand Specific.

Dated:Effectivegoalshavespecificdeadlines. Short-termgoalshavedeadlinesofafewmonths. Along-term goalhasadeadlineofayearormoreonupto10years.

Achievable: Effectivegoalscanrealisticallybeachievedwithinthedeadline. Itisunrealistic,forexample,to sayyouwillgraduatefromElCaminoCollegeintwoyearswithatransfermajorinChemicalEngineeringifyour mathplacementtestplacesyouinMath23. Realistically,itmaytakelongerunlessyoutakesummerandwinter classes.

Personal:Effectivegoalsbelongpersonallytoyou,nottoyourparents,yoursweetheart,oranyoneelse. Itis wonderfultobeabletotakeoverthefamilybusiness,ifthatreallyisyourpersonalgoalbutdon’tsacrifice yourdreamsforanother’s.

Positive:Translateanynegativewordslikewon’t,can’t,don’t,stop,orquitintopositivegoalsthatfocusyour energyonwhatyouwilldo. Ratherthan,“I’mgoingstopbeinglatetoclass”sayinstead,Iwillbeontimetoall ofmyclasseseverydaythisweek.”

Specific:Effectivegoalsstateoutcomesinspecificmeasurableterms. Ifyouaren’tspecific,youcanfool yourselfintothinkingyoudidbetterinschool,orthatyouweremoremotivated. Hence,itisbettertosay“I willearnatleasta3.5GPAthissemester”or“EverytimeIgetdiscouraged,Iwillvisualizemyselfon graduationday.”

Hereareexamples:

NotDAPPS:Iwillstopbeingtardy

DAPPS: Iwillarrivetoeachofmyclassesontimethissemesterbeginningtoday.

2. Forthisexercise,havestudentfirstworkindependentlytocompletetheworksheetforGoalsyouwantto achievebytakingthisclass.(approximately5minutes)

3. Havestudentspartner-uptoassesseachothersgoalsforeachofthefiveDAPPSqualitiesthatcharacterize effectivegoals.(approximately5minutes)

4. Classdiscussion:(approximately5minutes)

•HaveyouincreasedyourmotivationforsuccessfullycompletingthisClass?

•DoesapplyingtheDAPPSrulehelpyoudeterminewhetherornotyoucanactuallyachieveyourgoals?

5. Assessment:FORM“GOALSYOUWANTTOACHIEVEBYTAKINGTHISCLASS”

GOALS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVEBY TAKING THISCLASS.

REMEMBERTOAPPLYTHEDAPPSRULE. SUGGESTION:COMPLETETHETABLEINPENCIL.

WRITEYOURGOALSBELOW / DOESYOURGOALMEETDAPPSRULE?GIVEYOURSELFA CHECKMARKIFSO. REVISEYOURGOALIFNECESSARY TOMAKESUREEACHGOALRECEIVESACHECKINEVERY CATEGORY.
DATED / ACHIEVABLE / POSITIVE / PERSONAL / SPECIFIC
GOAL1:
GOAL2:
GOAL3:

WHATARESOMECHALLENGESTHATMIGHTGETINTHEWAYOFMEETINGYOURGOALS?

WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?

WHAT ARE THREE EXPERIENCES YOU WANTTO HAVE WHILE TAKING THISCLASS?

1.

2.

3.

WHATISATLEASTONETHINGYOUWILLCOMMITTODOINGTOMAKESUREYOUREACH YOUR GOALS?

YOURSIGNATURE:______DATE:______

SkipDowning,OnCourse:StrategiesforCreatingSuccessin Collegeandin Life(Wadsworth,CengageLearning,2011)