Tutorial 2: Developing Sustainable Study Habits

As you develop sustainable study habits, setting goals should be high on your agenda. Hopefully you will already have a sense of why God has called you to study at Morling, and maybe where you think you will be able to serve Him (or continue to serve Him) when you complete your study.

You don't have to have all the answers, and should be prepared for God to surprise you, but setting goals, for the semester as well as your whole Award, can be a helpful way to stay motivated. They also give you something to share with others (especially if they are supporting you in prayer or financially).

You could consider goals that relate to your:

• Personal and spiritual transformation/growth
  
• Academic achievement
  
• Ministry skills and development
  
• Relational and missional engagement

Creating SMART goals

It is worthwhile setting Semester specific goals as well as broader goals for your study as a whole. You may have heard about SMART goals and they are a good place to start!

Your goals should be:

• Specific State exactly what you want to achieve. Break larger tasks into smaller items.
• Measurable Establish clear definitions to help you recognize whether you’re reaching your goal.
• Achievable/Action Orientated Outline exactly what steps you will take to accomplish your goal.
• Realistic Set goals you can accomplish. Be sure to consider obstacles you may need to overcome.
• Time-Bound Decide exactly when you’ll start and finish your goal. You might need to set smaller timeframes throughout.

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