Change your goal pyramid as you progress through school. You may
eventually decide on a different career. Or your mid-range goals may
change as you decide on a different path leading to the long-range
goal. The short-range goals will undoubtedly change, even daily.
The process of creating your own goal pyramid allows you to see how
all those little daily and weekly steps you take can lead to your mid-
range and long-term goals, and will thereby motivate you to work on
your daily and weekly tasks with more energy and enthusiasm.
The development of good study skills is the highway to your goals,
whatever they are. No matter how hard you have to work or how
much adversity you have to overcome along the way, the journey will
indeed be worth it.
How do you make setting goals a part of your life? Here are some
hints I think will help:
■ Be realistic when you set goals. Don’t aim too high or too
low, and don’t be particularly concerned when (not if) you
have to make adjustments along the way.
■ Be realistic about your expectations. Seek a greater
understanding of a subject for which you have little aptitude
rather than getting hopelessly bogged down if total mastery
is just not in the cards.
■ Don’t give up too easily. You can be overlyrealistic—
too ready to give up just because something is a trifle harder
than you’d like. Don’t aim too high and feel miserable when
you don’t come close, or aim too low and never achieve your
potential—find the path that’s right for you.
■ Concentrate on areas that offer the best chance for
improvement. Unexpected successes can do wonders
for your confidence and might make it possible for you to
achieve more than you thought you could, even in other
areas.Chapter 2 ■ How to Organize Your Studying 23