Goal setting
“Well begun is half done” - Ancient Greek Proverb
Finding Direction in the HSC
High school can be overwhelming, especially during the final years. Goals don’t magically reduce stress, but they do give you a clearer path to follow when everything else feels chaotic.
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Why do goals matter?
Feeling overwhelmed in school or in life isn’t always about the workload, often it’s about not knowing where to focus your energy. Establishing goals – even small ones – can help with the decision-making. They bring structure to your time and make your progress feel more real. Instead of choosing tasks at random or in response to outside pressure, you can decide based on what helps you move towards your goal.
Motivation comes and goes. Most likely, some days you’ll feel incredibly focused, other days you won’t. That’s completely normal. Goals can help you keep moving forward by giving you a reference point to come back to when you’re tired, or unfocused, or unsure what to do next.
How do you decide on a goal?
A goal that comes from you will generally stick better than one that doesn’t. However, figuring out what you want is easier said than done when advice, expectations and opinions are all around you, from parents, teachers, friends. You don’t need to ignore those voices, but try to avoid letting them make the decision for you.
A good starting point is a little self-reflection. Ask yourself: How do I want to feel at the end of this year? What do I want less of in my life? What do I want more of?
Bear in mind, you don’t need to have a detailed plan, a dream career, or something inspiring to aim for. Even something as simple as “I want to feel less stressed out this year” can be enough to give you a sense of direction. In saying that, it’s okay if your goals change. They’re tools. If one doesn’t work, changing it is part of the process, not a personal failure.
What makes a good goal?
Once you have a broader sense of where you want to be, the next step is making it into something you can act on. Long-term goals give you direction, but they become effective when they’re broken down into smaller, short-term goals.
Helpful short-term goals are realistic, specific, and easy to track in your own way. Basically, is your next step clear, and can you tell when you’re making progress?
For example, “be more organised” is a clear intention, but it’s hard to act on as is. Turning that into “spend 30 minutes every Sunday preparing a to-do list for the week” creates a specific starting point you can actually follow.
The hardest part of meeting any goal is often just getting started, and the smaller you make the steps, the easier it will be to begin. Procrastination usually isn’t about laziness, it happens because your brain is overloaded and can’t figure out what to do next. Once you have a goal, you have clarity, and that builds momentum.
You don’t need to do everything at once. Just take the next step, and let it carry you onwards.
Putting it into action
Reflect on what you want.
Pick one goal that gives you a sense of direction and purpose.
Break it down into trackable steps.
Start small, let progress build over time.
Keep the feeling that you’re chasing in mind as you take the little steps
