First and foremost, one of the most important steps one can take when seeking support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is setting the right goals. NDIS goals are aimed at empowering the beneficiaries to live the life of their choice free from challenges that most people experience in their lives. But how do you make sure that your goals are both meaningful and productive? In this article, we shall focus on NDIS goal setting and objectives that help to meet your individual needs.

Why Are NDIS Goals So Important?

NDIS goals are central to your NDIS plan. They determine what support and services you will receive, and they influence the allocation of your funding. Achievable and logical NDIS goals and objectives translate into positive changes in your everyday life, making it easier for you to acquire appropriate treatment, assistive devices, or community activities.

Depending on whether you are looking to enhance your mobility, increase your social ties, or seek help for your mental health issues, the objectives will determine how the plan will be oriented.

The Key to Setting Good NDIS Goals: Start with SMART

While drafting NDIS goals it is necessary to adhere to the framework of the NDIS SMART goals. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This helps to ensure that the set objectives are precise, practical and can be achieved within a certain period of time.

1. Specific

You should define your objectives in such a way that it is easy for all the stakeholders in the NDIS plan to understand what you intend to achieve. So rather than simply stating that ‘I want to be in good health’, one can state as an objective that ‘In order to gain my physical health, I will be attending physiotherapy every week’.

2. Measurable

Ensure you have methods by which you can gauge your improvement. How are you sure that you are nearing the target? For instance, the objective “I hope to walk 20 minutes each day” is any day easier to measure than “I want to become more active by walking”.

3. Achievable

Try to make goals that are pertinent to the current circumstances and resources at your disposal. It is crucial to push oneself at times, however, establishing a goal that may be beyond reach can be demoralizing. For instance, it may be realistic for someone who has undergone surgical treatment to expect to be able to walk on their own within a period of six months, but for someone who has a degenerative ailment, it would be impossible.

4. Relevant

Your goal should be something that’s truly important to you. If improving social connections is a priority, then a goal around participating in a weekly social group would be relevant. Ensure that your goals align with your personal values and long-term aspirations.

5. Time-bound

It is important that every objective emphasizes a deadline or time limit. For example, you may decide to seek a particular goal: “over the next three months, I will be working on my communication skills by attending speech therapy sessions twice a week.”

The NDIS SMART goals method enables individuals to set goals that are impactful and also aid in the mapping out of one’s journey through NDIS.

Examples of NDIS Goals for Different Needs

1. NDIS Goals for Mental Health

Mental wellbeing is one of those areas that draws attention and gives a lot of room for goal setting. An example of NDIS goal for  mental health would be reducing anxiety, enabling social engagement, or enhancing coping mechanisms, among others. For instance, ‘I want to alleviate the social phobia I suffer by going to group therapy twice a month and doing mindfulness every day for six months.’

2. NDIS Goals for Physical Health

When it comes to one scoping their physical abilities, a likely turning point in the evolution of that person’s abilities could be: “I want to improve my autonomy in a six-month capacity by making use of mobility aids to walk for a few meters.”

3. NDIS Goals for Employment

In case your aim is to secure employment, that is, one of the objectives, a possible employment objective could be: “I wish to enhance my employment skills by attending a supported employment programme two times a week for a whole year.”

How to Align NDIS Objectives with Your Goals

The NDIS objectives that you have set must be coherent with your long term plans. Goals are narrower and aim at specific short term achievements which contribute to the bigger picture. For instance, if enhancing physical health is objective, one of the goals perhaps would be ‘within a month go and meet a physiotherapist and have a work around exercise plan’. Whatever the short term objective you set should contribute towards the larger picture.

Tips for Successful NDIS Goal Setting

1. Reflect on Your Needs and Aspirations
   Think about what is most important to you—what you want to achieve, improve, or experience in your life. Your goals should reflect these personal aspirations.
2. Seek Support
   You don’t have to set your goals alone. Your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator can help guide you through the NDIS goal setting process, ensuring your goals are achievable and align with your plan.
3. Review and Adjust Your Goals
   As your life changes, so too may your goals. Regularly reviewing your NDIS goals and objectives ensures that they remain relevant and continue to reflect your needs.

Conclusion: Take Control of Your NDIS Journey with Well-Defined Goals

Effective NDIS goal setting is essential for the success of a plan. It is important to set NDIS SMART goals and relate them to your personal belief and future goals in order to be able to access the right supports, enhance wellbeing and lead the kind of life you desire. Also, I have to remind you that the goals you set must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound in order to maximize your chances of success.