Great Goals for Teens
Sometimes the very hardest part of goal setting is deciding what goal to set. It sounds simple, but if this question is not answered, then there is simply no way forward. The options can swirl around in your head like a confusing, hazy cloud. Do I set an exercise/health goal? What about my grades? Shouldn’t I make hitting certain marks in my class a goal? Oh shoot - I’m supposed to be figuring out what I want to do after I graduate. That’s probably got to be a goal too. I didn’t even think about volunteering or social connections. One of my teachers mentioned that we should have our first resume typed up by our senior year. See how easy it can be to get overwhelmed by the mere act of goal setting?
Thankfully, we’re here to help with that! If you’re having trouble deciding what goal(s) to set for yourself, try to narrow it down to the type of goal first. Here are the types: educational, life, or financial. Do one of those leap out to you as an area you’d like to grow in the most or see forward momentum? Go with your gut here. Usually our first instinct is the correct one. Once you’ve selected an area, then you can pick one of the following specific options (Grossman, 2021).
Educational
Complete the bronze, silver, or gold level of the Congressional Award Program. We’ve provided the link to this below. It looks great on a high school resume, and you can start working toward it at 13.5 years old!
Take a driver’s ed class and get your driver’s license.
Learn how to jumpstart a car or change a tire in an emergency.
Get an internship at a place of business you’d like to learn more about.
Look into advanced placement classes or see if you can take courses your junior and senior year of high school that actually give you college credit.
Life
Train for and run in a local marathon or 5K.
Learn how to cook a family recipe on your own from scratch.
Write a story from start to finish. If you really want to challenge yourself, find a magazine that publishes stories and submit it.
Volunteer regularly at a local non-profit.
Find a community choir and look into joining it.
Financial
Open your own bank accounts.
Save up $500 for unexpected emergencies or financial needs.
Apply for and secure your first job.
Pay for your own prom dress or suit.
Knock the socks off of your caregivers or guardian by asking how you can contribute more to the family (financially or through chores).
Goals play a huge role in how we grow. Every year, one of the goals I set for myself is to read a certain number of books, and I push myself to read things that will actually stretch my thinking and help me consider things in a way I never would have on my own. Goals are a goldmine when you know how to use them!
References:
https://www.congressionalaward.org/current/
Grossman, A. (2021). 26 goals for teenagers. Money Prodigy. Retrieved from https://www.moneyprodigy.com/goals-for-teenagers/.
Challenges/Points:
Sometimes the hardest part of goal setting is figuring out what goal to set.
Goals can be narrowed down to the type such as educational, life, or financial.
It’s okay to be working toward more than one goal at a time. Sometimes that’s better!
Questions:
Do you have a hard time choosing which goals to set for yourself?
Which area do you gravitate toward the most: educational, life, or financial?
Who is someone you can talk to about your goals so they can ask how you are doing at working toward them?
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