Setting Personal Goals
Senior 2 · Entrepreneurship
Setting Personal Goals
Lesson 3 of 4
22 min
A SMART goal tells you where you are going. It does not tell you how to get there, when each part must be done, or what you will need along the way. That is the job of an action plan: a list of the steps needed to reach a goal, with a deadline and the resources for each one. A written plan saves money and time compared with trial and error, and it lets you (or a partner) check whether you are on track.
This case is written by Ganzaa. Uwase’s SMART goal: “I will sell 60 bottles of passion-fruit juice at 700 Frw each at the school sports day on 1 March, using 25,000 Frw that I will save over the next 10 weeks.”
| Step | Time frame | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Save 2,500 Frw a week | Weeks 1–10 | Money from weekend work |
| 2. Ask the school for permission to sell | Week 2 | A short letter; the class teacher |
| 3. Practise the recipe and test it on family | Weeks 3–4 | Her mother’s blender; a few fruits |
| 4. Buy bottles, fruit, sugar and labels | Week 10 | The savings; price information |
| 5. Make and sell the juice | 1 March | Two friends to help; a cool box |
Check the money resource.
Savings = 10 × 2,500 = 25,000 Frw, so she is 1,100 Frw short. The plan revealed an obstacle before it could ruin sports day. She can save for one more week, or print cheaper labels. If all 60 bottles sell: sales = 60 × 700 = 42,000 Frw, and profit = 42,000 − 26,100 = 15,900 Frw.
Tip
Exam technique. Present an action plan as a table with three columns: Step – Time frame – Resources. Then add up every money resource and compare it with what you actually have. Examiners reward the student who finds the shortfall.
Solution: Write the goal → break it into steps → list resources → act and monitor.
Solution: (a) people (and skills); (b) time; (c) information.
Solution: Books = 40 × 450 = 18,000 Frw. Pens = 40 × 150 = 6,000 Frw. Total = 24,000 Frw. 22,000 < 24,000, so she is 2,000 Frw short.
Solution: A deadline for one step on the way to the final goal, used to check that the plan is on track.
Summary
Sources and credits
The juice-plan case, the worked example and the practice items are written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
