How should one deal with difficult goals?

Coping Strategies for Difficult Goals Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was (a) to develop the Coping Strategies for Difficult Goals Scale, which consists of five subscales: “goal level adjustment,” “goal strategy adjustment,” “goal content adjustment,” “goal disengagement,” and “goal continuation”; and (b) to examine the relationship between coping strategies and well-being when goal achievement is difficult. College students participated in this study. The results indicated that (a) the Coping Strategies for Difficult Goals Scale has adequate validity and reliability; (b) goal disengagement was negatively associated with well-being, whereas goal content adjustment was positively associated with well-being; (c) the relevant well-being aspects differ between goal level adjustment and goal strategy adjustment; and (d) while goal persistence was associated with psychological well-being, it was also associated with depression. Finally, we offered specific suggestions for future research.