Goal-setting, goal achievement and volitional regulation

The concept of volitional regulation is closely linked with goal-setting and goal achievement. The nature and the scope of volitional regulation towards a goal is largely determined by the essence of the goal itself. The paper examines the nature and evolution of the category "goal". The concepts of goal characteristics, content of goals, degree of goal achievement and the volitional resource are introduced. From the point of view of goals achieving methods and required volitional regulation, all goals are divided into three classes. The first class consists of regularly reproducible goals, the achievement of which is repeated by an individual. It is shown that the role of volitional regulation in the fulfillment of such goals is insignificant. The second class consists of three types of analog goals. The first type includes goals that were once achieved by another person. The subject interested in achieving this goal has no experience in accomplishing it. The result obtained by the subject may deviate from the target image. In this case, the fact of achieving the goal is determined by compensating the initial target signs with equivalent ones. The second type of analog goals includes those achieved by the acting subject, but under other conditions. The third type combines features of the first and second types. The goal achieved under certain circumstances by another person has to be accomplished by the acting subject under the changed conditions. Most often, these goals appear in a situation of rapidly changing environment. These situations can be caused by technical progress, natural disasters, social disasters (epidemics, wars, revolutions, etc.). In transition from one type of analog goals to another the amount of volitional contribution required to fulfill those increases. The third class comprises development goals. These include entirely new goals, which have not been achieved by anyone before. The path to the achievement of development goals is strewn throughout with large and small obstacles. It is the point when the volitional regulation of activity occurs to the full extent. Therefore, the process of achieving a development goal involves a significant increase in the volitional resource of a person along with simultaneous personal growth. The notion of a high goal is also introduced in the paper. Such goals are generated by a goal-containing dream and determine the future activity of an individual. Dreams are not limited by circumstances. Therefore, they reflect the most intimate and courageous human desires. Goals based on dreams are substantial and particularly attractive. The role of volitional regulation at the stage of motivation of high goals is insignificant. The same cannot be said of at the stage of activities. The goal is accomplished for the first time, and its achievement involves all difficulties that require volitional interventions. Classification of goals according to their nature and the methods of their fulfillment allow to link the nature of a goal to the amount of volitional resource that is required to achieve it. In a decision-making process this allows to choose the right people to perform tasks and to rationally build a structure of actions for achieving goals.

Keywords

Authors

References