Ex 4-13 Achievement Motivation
This 10-minute “Goal Setter & Getter” exercise teaches achievement motivation by focusing on setting SMART goals, visualizing success, and taking immediate, small actions. It builds accountability through reflection and emphasizes that consistency (showing up) matters more than perfection.
The 10-Minute “Goal Setter & Getter” Exercise
Minutes 1-3: Set Your Intention (Goal Setting)
Activity: Have participants identify one small, achievable goal for the day (e.g., “I will complete my research” or “I will make two new connections”).
Teaching Point: Achievement motivation thrives on specific, challenging, yet attainable goals.
Minutes 4-5: Visualize & Affirm (Positive Mindset)
Activity: Participants close their eyes and visualize themselves successfully completing the goal.
Teaching Point: Visualization builds self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed.
Minutes 6-9: Take Immediate Action (The 10-Minute Rule)
Activity: Participants perform a 4-minute, high-intensity “sprint” on a task related to their goal (e.g., writing the first paragraph, making a call). If they feel unmotivated, they commit to doing at least this for 10 minutes, as movement often creates motivation.
Teaching Point: Procrastination is often broken by taking the first small step. Consistency beats talent.
Minute 10: Review & Reward (Reflective Thinking)
Activity: Participants take 60 seconds to reflect on what they accomplished and note one positive aspect of their effort, reinforcing the desire to achieve.
Teaching Point: Acknowledging progress increases intrinsic motivation.
Key Takeaways for Participants
“Any amount of effort is better than none”.
“Consistency is not built on ideal days; it is built on messy days”.
Focus on the process, not just the outcome.
Introduction
Goals are the specific result or purpose expected from the project. The project goals
specify what will be accomplished over the entire project period and should directly
relate to the problem statement and vison. The goal is achieved through the project
objectives and activities.
Objectives are the specific steps that lead to the successful completion of the project
goals. Completion of objectives result in specific, measurable outcomes that directly
contribute to the achievement of the project goals.
Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives
is a good way to plan the steps to meet the long-term goals in your grant. It helps you
take your grant from ideas to action. Setting SMART objectives keeps the project
moving forward, helps with accountability and timing, and lets you know that you are
accomplishing what you set out to accomplish.
Definition of SMART Objectives
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Specific – Objective clearly states, so anyone reading it can understand, what will be
done and who will do it.
Measurable – Objective includes how the action will be measured. Measuring your
objectives helps you determine if you are making progress. It keeps you on track
and on schedule.
• Achievable – Objective is realistic given the realities faced in the community. Setting
reasonable objectives helps set the project up for success.
• Relevant – A relevant objective makes sense, that is, it fits the purpose of the grant,
it fits the culture and structure of the community, and it addresses the vision of the
project.
• Time-bound – Every objective has a specific timeline for completion.
Tips for writing SMART Objectives
Specific
• Define what you expect
• Determine who will do it
• Detail accountability
• Use action verbs, expressing physical or mental action, as much as possible
• Provide enough detail—this depends on the objective but should be enough to
be clear
Measurable
• Identify how you will know the objective was accomplished—usually this means
quantity but can also be quality (for instance: “80% of participants agree or
strongly agree on the feedback form”)
Attainable
• Make sure you have the time, manpower, resources, and authority to accomplish
the objective
• Consider if there may be factors beyond your control
Relevant
• The objective helps you meet the purpose of the grant
• The objective is aligned with the Community Readiness Assessment scores
Time-bound
• Specify when the objective should be completed
• Include time-lined benchmarks for long-range goals and all objectives
Good News 