RA360: Personal Goal Setting
TL;DR
Setting goals for yourself can be a useful exercise to help you juggle all the competing priorities you have in your life. Think about all aspects of your experience, as a student, as a staff member, and as a human being. Then, set goals, benchmarks, timelines, and figure out how to hold yourself accountable.
Being a student staff member is both rewarding and challenging. Between balancing your academics, managing your floor or community, supporting residents through challenges, attending training sessions, and responding to unexpected incidents, it’s easy to shift into “reactive mode.” This is why goal setting is so important.
Do You Have Your Own “Mission Statement”?
As a student staff member, having a mission statement will help guide your goals and allow your residents, peers, and supervisors hold you accountable.
Why Setting Goals Is Helpful
Goal setting is a powerful tool to keep you focused and motivated throughout the year. It ensures you’re intentional about your efforts, gives you a roadmap for what you want to achieve, and helps prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities. By outlining what success looks like for you, you can better manage your time and energy and make a positive impact on your residents and yourself.
How You Write Your Goals Matters!
SMART Goals
You may have encountered the term “SMART goals” before. Writing SMART goals is a useful strategy when thinking ahead to what you want to get out of an experience, a job, or in life in general.
- Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, focusing on what you want to accomplish. They should answer the questions: What do I want to achieve? Why is it important? Who is involved? Where will it happen? What resources or constraints are involved?
- Measurable: Goals should be quantifiable so that progress can be tracked and measured. They should include specific criteria for assessing progress and determining when the goal has been achieved.
- Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable within the resources, time frame, and constraints available. They should stretch you slightly outside your comfort zone but still be within reach with effort and commitment.
- Relevant: Goals should be aligned with your overall objectives, values, and long-term plans. They should be meaningful and relevant to your personal or organizational priorities.
- Time-bound: Goals should have a defined timeframe or deadline for completion. This helps create a sense of urgency and accountability, preventing goals from lingering indefinitely. Deadlines provide motivation and help prioritize tasks.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
It’s helpful to set both short-term and long-term goals as an RA. Short-term goals are immediate or within the next few weeks. They keep you moving and provide quick wins. Long-term goals span the semester or entire academic year, giving you a bigger vision to work toward. For example, a short-term goal might be “Introduce myself personally to every resident on my floor within the first two weeks,” while a long-term goal could be “Increase overall resident attendance at events by 30% by year’s end.” Short-term goals often serve as stepping stones to achieve your long-term objectives.
Think of one short-term goal (something you can accomplish this week or month) and one long-term goal (by the end of the term or year) for your student staff role. How do your short-term efforts contribute to your long-term vision?
Examples of Goals You Can Set
Sometimes thinking through goals can seem overwhelming. With so many things you may want to accomplish, it’s sometimes easier to organize them into “buckets.” These are categories of goals you may have for yourself. For example…
- Academic/Professional
- What performance goals do you have for your coursework?
- What do you want to learn for your future career?
- Student Staff Role
- What kinds of relationships do you want to develop with your fellow staff members?
- What kind of staff member do you want to be?
- What do you want your residents to learn?
- Personal
- Do you have wellness goals you want to accomplish for yourself?
- Is there some aspect of your life you want to grow in?
Academic/Professional
Goals
I will meet with my college’s Career Services department to update my resumé by mid September. I will set Adie at least 3 hours of dedicated uninterrupted study time each week.
Student Staff Role
Goals
I will complete all required paperwork a day before it is due. I will set aside 3 hours of “office hours” each week so residents will always know I’m available. I will plan one community dinner per week.
Personal
Goals
I will go to the gym twice a week and only eat pizza in the dining hall once a week. I will learn to be a better listener by practicing in in one-on-one meetings with my supervisor and in intentional conversations with residents.
Case Study
You started the semester excited to make a big impact as an RA. You set ambitious goals: build strong community on your floor, run creative programs every month, maintain a good GPA, and apply for leadership roles next year. Now, halfway through the semester, you’re feeling stuck. You’ve hosted only one program, your residents seem distant, and your classes are harder than expected. You feel discouraged and aren’t sure where to start fixing things. You realize your goals were good — but you didn’t make a clear plan to reach them.
- What made your original goals feel overwhelming?
- How could you break your goals down into smaller, actionable steps?
- How might you prioritize your goals based on what’s most important right now?
- What support or resources could help you stay accountable?
- How can you celebrate small wins to stay motivated over time?
Creating an Action Plan and Milestones
Having goals is a great start! Now, how will you achieve them?
You need to create an action plan so your goals don’t just remain good intentions. Breaking each goal into smaller tasks and milestones will make large goals more manageable and less overwhelming. Start by identifying the key steps needed to reach your goal and assign target dates to each step. For example, if your goal is to “increase event attendance,” your action plan might include steps like: survey residents for interests (by week 3), collaborate with two peers on event ideas (by week 4), advertise events through flyers and social media (ongoing, starting week 5), etc. By laying out these tasks, you create a clear path forward.
- Milestone Checklist: For each major goal, list out a few milestones or sub-goals. These are checkpoints that indicate progress. (E.g., for a goal of completing a certain number of programs, a milestone could be “Program #1 completed by mid-semester.”) Mark them on your calendar or planner.
- Resources and Tools: Consider what resources you need for each step. Do you need to reserve space, get supplies, or ask someone for advice? Gathering what you need in advance sets you up for success.
Choose one of your goals and draft a quick action plan. Write down at least three specific actions you’ll take and a timeline for each. This turns your goal into a series of doable steps you can start on right away.
Accountability and Your Goals
Achieving goals is easier when you’re not doing it alone. Think about ways to hold yourself accountable and get support from others. One strategy is to share your goals with someone you trust (like your supervisor) and ask them to check in with you on your progress. You might even partner with another student staff member to be “accountability buddies,” where you regularly discuss your goals and celebrate each other’s progress. Writing your goals down and keeping them visible (on a note by your desk or a reminder on your phone) can also serve as a daily accountability nudge.
- Pick a Buddy: Don’t hesitate to seek guidance. For instance, you could discuss your goals during one-on-one meetings with your supervisor or ask a senior RA for tips on achieving a particular goal. They can offer advice, resources, and gentle reminders.
- Team Goal-Setting: Some student staff teams like to set a collective goal (for example, improving overall resident engagement or team communication). Being part of a group goal can motivate you, and you’ll have teammates to support you along the way.
Who can help you stay accountable to your goals? Identify at least one person (or a group) you will share your goals with. Plan a check-in (weekly or monthly) to report progress. Knowing you’ll update someone can keep you motivated.
Tracking Progress and Celebrating Wins
Regularly tracking your progress is key to staying motivated. Make it a habit to review your goals and action steps on a consistent basis. For example, set aside time at the end of each week or month to reflect on what you’ve accomplished. When you review, ask yourself: What progress have I made? Which goals are on track, and which need more attention? It’s normal that some goals will evolve; if you discover a goal isn’t as relevant anymore or needs to be adjusted, that’s okay. Adjust your plan, not your ambition.
Importantly, remember to celebrate your successes, both big and small. Reaching a milestone or simply sticking to a habit for a month are wins worth acknowledging. Celebrating could mean sharing the achievement with your team, treating yo’ self, or just taking a moment to recognize your hard work. This positivity boosts your morale and reinforces the habits that help you grow.
- Reminders: Set a reminder for a mid-semester “goal check-in” with yourself. At that time, review each goal, note your progress, and write down one next step for each. Also list one achievement you can celebrate, no matter how small.
- Adjusting Course: If you find you’re falling behind on a goal, don’t be discouraged. Break the goal down into even smaller steps, seek advice, or revise the timeline. The goal-setting process is flexible. It’s there to serve you and your residents’ needs, not to add pressure.
- What is one accomplishment this past month that you’re proud of?
- How did it move you closer to your goal?
- Is there a challenge you encountered, and what did you learn from it?
Returning RAs: Building on Your Experience
As a returning RA, you bring valuable experience and insight to the table. Now it’s about leveraging that foundation to set even more impactful goals. Start by reflecting on your previous year: What were some goals you accomplished last time, and what challenges did you face? Use those reflections to inform new goals. For instance, if last year one of your challenges was time management, a goal this year could be to implement a weekly planning routine to balance academics and RA responsibilities. If you successfully built a strong community on your floor before, perhaps this year you aim to mentor a new RA in doing the same, or take on a senior role in coordinating a building-wide event.
Returning RAs also have the opportunity to deepen their professional development. You might set a goal related to career growth, such as translating your RA skills to your resume or practicing advanced leadership techniques. Since you’re already familiar with basic RA tasks, consider stretching yourself: maybe lead part of an RA training session, spearhead a new initiative in your residence hall, or serve as the go-to person on your team for a certain skill (like bulletin board design or crisis management protocols).
- Mentorship and Leadership: One meaningful goal for a returning RA can be to guide others. For example, “I will actively mentor the two new RAs on our team, checking in with them bi-weekly to offer support and answer questions.” This not only helps your colleagues but also hones your leadership and communication skills.
- Continuous Improvement: No matter how long you’ve been an RA, there’s always room to grow. Identify one aspect of the role you found difficult or didn’t focus on last year, and make it a goal to improve in that area. This could be anything from more creative programming to better documentation and paperwork.
- Professional Trajectory: Think about how your RA experience fits into your larger personal and career goals. Perhaps you want to work in student affairs, psychology, business, etc. – find a way to link an RA goal to that interest. (E.g., an aspiring counselor might set a goal to sharpen active listening skills during resident interactions.)
As a returner, it’s a great time to think about how you’ll translate your learned skills into a future career. Check out the RA360 page on Transferable skills.
What’s one lesson you learned in your previous RA experience that you can build upon this year? Identify a new goal that pushes you slightly outside your comfort zone, ensuring that even as a returner you continue to learn and develop.
Moving Forward with Your Goals
Goal setting is an ongoing journey, and it’s all about growth. By setting personal and professional goals, you’re taking charge of your RA experience and your own development. Remember that goals can be adjusted and refined as you learn more about yourself and your residents throughout the year. Revisit your goals regularly and don’t hesitate to seek support when you need it. Whether you’re guiding first-year students through college life or aiming to leave a legacy in your residence hall, your dedication to personal and professional growth will shine through.
Questions To Ponder:
- What are your goals?
- Have you written them out?
- Have you made plans to achieve them?
- Hove your goals changed over time?
- How will you know when you’ve achieved your goals?
RA360 Outcomes:
RAs and student staff members will be able to:
- Describe one’s personal goals and what one hopes to achieve in the student staff role and in college in general.
- Write personal goals that are clear, measurable, and achievable.
More To Explore
RA360 is a set of resources organized around skills, topics and competencies relevant to Resident Advisors and similar related student staff positions in college and university residence halls.
