How Operationalizing Goals (Making them Actionable) Impacts Motivation.

Another factor of motivation is if the goal was worded as an actionable goal. Outcome statements demotivate people because they don’t name or frame the exact next action to take, leading to being overwhelmed or failing to start or initiate.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough to spur action. In addition to processing negative emotional barriers to action, one must ensure that goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Operationalizing means splitting a task up into smaller and smaller pieces until some aspect of it can be done right now to create an actionable goal.

One of the reasons it’s easy to be motivated for games is because the games operationalize the goals for you. Games give you a specific actionable task that builds up to an overall larger goal or task. However, the break down, sequencing, and actions to take are preset in many games. Learning the skill of operationalizing goals in your life will help motivation.

Reflection Questions:

• Ask yourself, can I do this goal right now or by the end of today? If the answer is no, then it’s not an actionable goal.

Practice activity for awareness of resolve:

• Analyze your goals, and find the smallest task or first step towards your goal that you can do right now.

Note: For it to be actionable it has to be something you can do right now. Even if your action is prep for future action, your goal is that prep action or step then.

This is the last page regarding Motivation.

Return to the Home Page Educational Resources page to move on to modules on identifying values and support needs, asking for accommodations, and how to cultivate a sense of purpose.