Goal Setting (Goal Setting) | 마음스캔 심리학 용어사전

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What Is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is the process of defining specific outcomes you want to achieve and systematically working toward them. According to psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham's Goal Setting Theory, clear and challenging goals significantly enhance motivation and performance.

Characteristics of Effective Goals (SMART)

S (Specific): Instead of 'get healthy,' try 'walk for 30 minutes three times a week'

M (Measurable): You should be able to objectively verify whether the goal has been achieved

A (Achievable): An appropriate level of challenge — not too easy, not too difficult

R (Relevant): The goal should align with your values and life direction

T (Time-bound): There should be a deadline for when you want to achieve it

Goal Setting and Psychological Well-Being

Reasons Mindy recommends goal setting:

Sense of direction: Simply knowing where your life is headed creates a feeling of stability

Motivation: Meaningful goals give you a reason to get up every morning

Self-efficacy: Each time you achieve a small goal, your belief that 'I can do this' grows stronger

Sense of meaning: Goals connected to your values bring deeper meaning to life

Psychologically Healthy Ways to Set Goals

Process goals over outcome goals: Rather than 'score 100 on the exam,' try 'study with focus for one hour every day'

Use approach goals: Instead of 'stop feeling anxious' (avoidance goal), try 'practice mindfulness' (approach goal)

Stay flexible: When circumstances change, it's okay to adjust your goals. Rigidity only creates more stress

Practice self-compassion: When you don't reach a goal, don't be hard on yourself — find the courage to start again

A Word of Caution

Becoming overly attached to goals can actually increase anxiety and stress. Goals are tools to enrich your life, not masters that control it.

A Note from Mindy

The best goal isn't one that brings joy only when achieved — it's a goal where you already feel yourself growing in the very process of pursuing it.

💡 Real-Life Example

Setting a goal to 'make mindfulness meditation a daily habit by the end of this year,' then starting with just five minutes of meditation each morning and gradually increasing the time, is a great example of healthy goal setting.

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