#educational programmes

With the start of 2025 comes a fresh opportunity to put all those new year’s resolutions into action. Whether it’s self-improvement focused or health and wellbeing there’s a lot to be said about personal goal setting. With that in mind, the following provides five steps to unlocking your true potential over the coming year.

Why Goal Setting Matters

Goal setting isn’t just about making a list of resolutions. It’s a proven process that helps:

Clarify priorities — identify what truly matters to you.

Create focus — direct time and energy toward meaningful objectives.

Measure progress — track achievements and stay motivated.

Enhance accountability — stay committed by defining clear outcomes.

Step 1: define your vision for 2025

Start by envisioning your ideal year. What do you want to accomplish in key areas of your life? Consider these categories or add your own:

Career and professional development

Health and wellness

Financial growth

Relationships and community

Personal growth and learning

Write down broad aspirations, then distil them into focused goals that reflect your values and ambitions.

Step 2: set SMART goals

Effective goals follow the SMART framework:

Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve.

Measurable: Identify metrics to track progress.

Achievable: Ensure your goal is realistic given your resources.

Relevant: Align with your broader vision and priorities.

Time-bound: Set a clear deadline for achieving the goal.

Example:

Vague Goal: ‘Get in shape.’

SMART Goal: ‘Lose 10 kg by 30 June 2025, by exercising four times a week and following a balanced meal plan.’

Step 3: break goals into actionable steps

Large goals can feel overwhelming, so divide them into smaller more manageable tasks. Create a timeline with milestones to help keep yourself on track. For example:

Goal: Increase professional skills by earning a certification in data analysis.

Steps:

Research certification programmes (January).

Enrol in a course (February).

Complete weekly study sessions (March to May).

Take the certification exam (June).

Step 4: prioritise and balance

Not all goals are equal in importance. Rank your goals and focus on the ones with the highest impact on your long-term success. Maintain balance to avoid burnout — set limits on how much you’ll commit to each area of your life.

Step 5: monitor and adjust

Regularly review your progress. Are you on track, or do adjustments need to be made? Life can be unpredictable, so flexibility is key. Adapt, as needed, while keeping your end goal in sight.

Tools for staying on track

Goal-setting apps: Tools like Trello can help you manage tasks and track habits.

Accountability partners: Share your goals with someone who can encourage and hold you accountable.

Journals: Documenting your progress helps reinforce your commitment and gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved.

Goal setting is a powerful way to create a life by design rather than by default. By envisioning your future, setting SMART goals, and maintaining focus and flexibility, you’ll position yourself for a success filled year of growth and achievement.

Today’s student christmas party at our Auckland International Campus was a wonderful celebration. It included fun games, tasty food, and a talk about the meaning of Christmas. It was the perfect way to come together before wrapping up the final study block of the year and heading into the summer holidays.

Future Skills’ Learner Journey Mapping project has received a significant boost with government funding through the Tertiary Education Commission's Accelerating Learner Success Fund.

The Learner Journey Mapping project is all about developing learner journey maps and personas to enable the delivery of tailored services and plan student success services effectively.

Future Skills was recently successful in securing funding for the project via the Accelerating Learner Success Fund (Tūwhitia). The purpose of the fund is to make targeted investments in learner success initiatives to positively impact learners.

Future Skills Research Director, Dr Farhad Mehdipour, says Future Skills strives to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters equal opportunities, embraces diversity, and supports the needs of Māori, Pacific, disabled learners, and other underserved learners.

The Accelerated Learner Success Fund presents a significant opportunity to enhance Learner Success Initiatives by expanding their scope and providing focused support to priority learners, says Farhad.

“By recognising that learners come from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and aspirations, the initiative proposes to create learner journey maps and personas to identify the specific needs of different learner segments.”

This project aims to deliver customised services tailored to each learner type, facilitating more effective planning of student success services. By focusing on additional segments such as in-employment learners, full-time learners, and part-time learners, the mapping initiative will help identify the unique requirements of each group.

Farhad says the process includes data collection, segmentation, analysis, interviews with learners, data classification, and the creation of learner personas.

“With this approach, institutions can offer responsive and accelerated support, ensuring that each learner has the tools needed for success right from the time of enrolment.”

Go to the Theme Parks to Visit on NASA Tours and experienced the full of learning, fun, and adventure and exciting for students with Atlantis Erudition.