Have you ever experienced virtual reality? If so, you know that even though everything that you see isn't real, it definitely looks like it is. That sense of realness is what you need to focus on when creating this portion of your goals.
R = Realistic. To make sure the goals in your career plan are realistic, ask yourself, Is this goal within my reach? Is it likely that I'll achieve the goal, given the time and resources available? Am I willing to commit to reaching this goal?
A realistic goal sounds very similar to an achievable goal, doesn't it? To understand the difference, think of the people and situations in your life that might affect your ability to reach your goal. For example, read how David and Jayme had to adjust their goals to make them more realistic.
David, a sophomore, works part-time at the movie theater in town. He wants to save up enough money to buy a car before his senior year of high school, so he has decided to save at least 35% of each paycheck to put towards purchasing a car. David's goal may seem realistic until you factor in the role that Brenda plays in David's life.
Brenda and David have been dating for almost a year. They both enjoy eating out and going to the movies. David also likes to surprise Brenda with little gifts. Is it realistic that David can save enough money to buy a car—if he and Brenda enjoy dinner out and movie every weekend? Probably not. David may be able to save 5% of his paycheck for the car but not 35%. David will need to adjust his goal to reflect his actual saving and spending habits.
Jayme is about to start her senior year of high school, and she is very excited about college. She has fallen in love with a school that would require her to live abroad in Europe. Jayme's goal is to attend this college even if though it is in a completely different country.
When Jayme shares her goal with her mother, she learns the terrible news that her parents cannot afford to help her to attend her dream college—it's simply too expensive. Jayme could take out student loans, but the amount she could borrow still wouldn't cover the cost of living abroad.
When Jayme set her goal, she did not consider the expenses for both her parents and herself. Therefore, her goal was not realistic. If she is determined to study abroad, though, Jayme can still set a realistic goal for herself. She can apply for different grants and scholarships each week to see if she could be awarded enough money to cover the cost of her top-choice college.
Question
In David's situation, what kind of change could turn an unrealistic goal into a realistic goal?
David could get a job that pays more, work more hours, or ask Brenda to help him find things for them to do that cost less money.
