Goal setting is an essential life skill critical for helping students establish, manage, and maintain healthy and safe behaviors and becoming a health literate individual. Setting and achieving short-term and long-term health goals can have positive health benefits and contribute to other life outcomes. 

Learning to set and reach goals can also help students prioritize what is most important to them and work meaningfully to achieve these important priorities. Because goals are more deliberate than desires and momentary intentions, goal setting means that a person has committed thoughts, emotions, and behaviors towards attaining the goal. 

Goal-setting skills involve the assessment of personal health practices and the development of an action plan to motivate and guide a person toward reaching a goal. Successful goal setting consists of procedural steps which include the creation of a goal statement that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound (SMART). 

Students gain confidence in their abilities to set and achieve health goals and have a higher probability of success by assessing their personal health practices; creating a SMART goal; then identifying the benefits and barriers to reaching a goal; implementing strategies to achieve a personal health goal (e.g., accessing information, resources, and supportive networks; tracking progress; setting reminders; taking small steps; overcoming barriers; and revising the goal based on life circumstances); and persisting when facing barriers and challenges.