<p>Prompt: Do goals have value only if they are achieved?</p>
<p>Goal setting is widely regarded as one of the most effective ways a person might improve themselves. Interestingly enough, though the subject matter we wish to improve upon varies from person to person, one common factor resonates: humans set high standards for achievement. Many lament that setting these lofty goals is pointless - they cannot be achieved and therefore they amount to nothing. In reality, though the goals people set may not be achieved, striving for perfection allows people to better themselves and society. </p>
<p>By setting the bar as high as possible, people are motivated to work diligently so that they may personally improve. When I took my first practive test for the SATii Biology, I scored 600 out of 800. This nearly reduced me to tears - I had never experienced a science test that caused me to struggle that much. However, instead of resigning to the fact that I would score so poorly, I set goals to get better. I made a promise to myself that I would score a perfect 800 on the actual exam, no matter what. This high goal motivated me to study every day, and really work towards absorbing all of the information and skills that were necessary to score an 800. Thus people are inspired by goals to work their hardest - this leads to improvement. Whenever I gt down and wanted to give up, I thought of how that perfect 800 would feel once I had achieved it. Now, due to extenuating circumstancces on test day, I didn’t get a perfect score on the exam - I got a 770. However, my goal for perfection motivated me to improve by 170 points through hard work, showing that goal-setting is worthwile even when those goals are not achieved.</p>
<p>In the same war that goals helped me improve myself, one person or group’s goals can better society as a whole. This in evident in To Kill A Mockingbird - though Atticus is not able to fully absolve Tom of any charges, he does manage to move past some of the prejudice in Maycomb. Thus by setting a goal to force Maycomb to completely overcome their prejudice, and creating a strong case and stronger argument to achieve that goal, Atticus sets the town on the road to success. This shows that even when a person is not able to fully achieve their goals, it is striving towards them that eventually betters society.</p>
<p>Overall, setting goals allows people to improve themselves and society even when those goals are not attained.</p>