NDIS 101: Setting goals
Independence Australia is a registered NDIS service provider and provider of Inform Online and provides a range of options for beginning your NDIS journey, accessing supports such as NDIS consumables, viewing NDIS guides, resources and tools such as the popular NDIS planning booklet.
Navigating the NDIS can be daunting, especially if the NDIS marks the first time you or your loved one are accessing supports and services. The Inform Online NDIS 101 series aims to take some of the confusion out of understanding, accessing and using the NDIS by providing straightforward information and resources.
Setting goals is an important part of developing your NDIS plan. But deciding on what your goals are can be challenging. The following handy guide explains what a goal is, how to figure out what your goals are and some tips for setting effective goals.
What are NDIS goals?
Goals describe the things that you want to achieve. They can be short-term or long-term and can help you focus your attention on what you really want.
Some examples of goals include finding a job, learning to drive, joining a social club or playing a sport.
Your NDIS plan is built around your goals so it’s important to spend some time thinking about what your goals are. Spending that time before your planning meeting is a great way to ensure that your plan is working for you and helping you live the life you want.
How to define your NDIS goals
Whether your goals are big or small, the first step towards achieving them is to figure out what they are.
A good what to figure out what your goals are that is think about what’s important to you. Do you love playing sport? Maybe engaging with the arts is really important to you. Or maybe improving your communication or confidence using public transport is something that matters to you. Once you’ve decided what’s important to you, you can turn those things into goals.
On the flip side, thinking about what you don’t want can be useful in defining your goals. For example, if you don’t want to rely on someone else to drive you to the shops, getting your license could be a positive goal.
Try not to get caught up in the big picture. Your goals can be anything you want. Small or large, for work or just for fun. If you do have a big goal that you want to achieve, maybe you want to travel overseas or go back to university, think about breaking these bigger goals up into smaller sub-goals.
NDIS Goals Tips and Advice
- Try writing down a list of things that you enjoy doing and building your goals around those things.
- Talk to your support network, to your family and friends about your goals. They can help you define your goals and achieve them.
- Be clear about what your goals are. Instead of ‘I want to exercise more’, you could say ‘I want to attend a swimming class once a week’.
- Set goals that you can achieve. If your goals are too complex or difficult, you may get discouraged.