How Does One Change or Reach Their Goals?

 
This can best be accomplished through careful, thoughtful, and effective planning and the ongoing development of a number of core capabilities:

• planning ahead;
• establishing priorities;
• structuring our lives accordingly;
• development of self-evaluative capabilities;
• self-demands and self-sanctions (i.e., guides, motivators and deterrents);
• self-satisfaction, self-worth and self-censure;
• behavioral guidelines, self-evaluative reactions and functioning personal standards;
• becoming more reflective and critical thinking, experiencing an enhanced level of awareness of the context of one's belief's and feelings, the adequacy of one's thought's and actions, one's assumptions and particular premises, and meaningful life pursuits;
• an increasing ability to assess alternative perspectives, being more open to other perspectives, being less defensive and more accepting of new ideas;
• finding a way to fit new perspective into the broader context of ones life; and
• taking action based on the new perspective.

In general, people are seldom found to be well-equipped with these capabilities. Consequently, they must be developed. Observational learning through mentoring or modeling operates as one mechanism in the process of further development, adaptation and change. The mechanism of mentoring or modeling can be a valuable aid to others as they acquire lifestyles, values, self-regulatory standards, aspirations, and a sense of personal and collective efficacy (Bandura, 1986, 1997).

Please forward to colleagues, friends or students who might benefit. Thank you.