What will help you achieve a goal? Researchers have found a link between self-management skills

Source: Jennifer F. Beatty et al, "Sense of purpose and social-emotional-behavioural skills during university", Personality and Individual Differences (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2024.112870

Psychologists from Washington University in St. Louis (USA) conducted a study with 400 students to find out how a sense of purpose relates to so-called social, emotional and behavioural skills (SEB-skills). The subjects completed questionnaires assessing their sense of purpose as well as their level of self-organisation, cooperation, emotional resilience, innovative thinking and ability to build social connections. In addition, the participants were asked about their general well-being, life satisfaction and academic achievement.

The results showed that students with a higher sense of purpose often have strong self-management skills, including the ability to plan effectively, prioritise, complete tasks on time and not give up on long-term goals. On average, they also had higher levels of life satisfaction. The surprise was that the "sense of purpose" was almost not correlated with university grades (GPA) and the likelihood of graduation: apparently, academic achievement depends on other factors.

Doctoral student Jennifer Beattie and Professor Patrick Hill, the authors of the study, believe that the skill of developing a sense of purpose can be developed like other SEB skills. It is not an innate trait that cannot be changed, but rather the ability to better manage oneself and find inspiration in a broader task or vision for one's life. According to scientists, in modern education, an increasingly important role is played by an approach in which students are helped not just to "accumulate knowledge" but also to develop psychological skills of regulation, motivation and self-organisation.

Researchers are already developing training modules that allow students to train the ability to set long-term goals and keep them meaningful.

This is important because during a person's life he or she may change the direction of activity several times, and the sense of purpose serves as a reference point - it prevents the person from being wasted on unnecessary things, and allows him or her to focus on what matters.