Goal Setting for Frustrated Graduate Students

Are You Productivity Challenged?
Quick Tips for More Effective Goal Setting for Grad Students

A lot of graduate students struggle to make progress on long-term projects like theses and dissertations, where the far-away deadlines feel ephemeral and there are no immediate consequences to procrastinating. They set goals to complete their degree and make timelines with the best of intentions, but each day goes by with little progress. Many grad students end up frustrated and mad with themselves for not meeting the goals they set.

As time goes by, the grad student feels stressed and guilty for not getting things done, often overcompensating by setting unrealistic goals the next day to “catch up.” Then, they feel even worse and more demotivated when they can’t meet these unrealistic goals. They start to think they have problems with time management or with procrastination when really, the problem lies in their goal setting.

If that’s you, stop! There’s a better way to approach goal setting in graduate school. Instead of trying to overschedule yourself, change your approach to productivity by setting 1) mandatory, 2) priority, and 3) cherry goals each day.

Better Goal Setting for Graduate Students

Mandatory Goals for Morale

Each morning, when you start your workday, identify the things that absolutely must be done that day. These are your mandatory goals. They are activities that you cannot let drop without significant consequences. They might be things with an immediate deadline, or they might be activities that are part of a bigger project that will fall behind without ongoing action.

Next, consider how long the mandatory goals will take. Be realistic in your estimate and always err on the side of a task taking longer than you hope. You can celebrate if you finish early, but underestimating the time commitment will leave you rushed, stressed, and demotivated. One of the most common mistakes I see graduate students make is setting unrealistic goals, which leave the student feeling like they aren’t good enough for grad school. This only contributes to more procrastination because it demoralizes students.

Priority Goals for Progress

Once you know what must be done, it’s time to consider what you want to get done. Think about how much time you’ll have left over after you’ve completed the mandatory goals and decide on up to three priorities you want to work on in that time. These are your priority goals. Priority goals are activities that are important to moving your thesis/dissertation/coursework forward. They should be small and exact goals that you can realistically accomplish in the time you have left after completing your mandatory goals.

If your mandatory goals are going to take most or all of your workday, then you should only pick one priority goal and keep it small, something you can complete easily in 30 minutes or less. For example, formatting references, brainstorming, reading an abstract, watching a tutorial, etc. Something you can slip in at the end of the day without much effort and without feeling burdensome. Whenever possible, make time to do the priority goals, even if your mandatory goals take up most of your workday. Making sure that your work is moving forward is an important morale boost in the face of long-term projects. Plus, these activities add up and save hours come crunch time.

Cherry Goals for Motivation in Grad School

Finally, consider setting a “Cherry” goal for the day. This is the cherry on top goal that, if you have time to complete, will take you from having a good day to having a great day. Cherry goals are small but extra accomplishments that make you feel ultra productive that day and make tiny but necessary steps towards finishing grad school. These goals boost your mood and help you feel more energized and motivated over the long haul, which is vital for graduate students. A cherry goal should be something that would take you 30 minutes or less to accomplish. Like the cherry on an ice cream sundae, it’s a tiny topper for the day’s productivity. If you don’t get to the cherry goal because you were swamped with mandatory or priority goals, that’s okay! Even a sundae without a cherry is a tasty treat. Cherry goals are optional. They are nice to have, but it’s okay if you didn’t have time or energy for them.

If you’re a graduate student struggling to set achievable goals, then try these tips for better goal setting and rock your graduate school journey!