Set NDIS Goals

When it comes to NDIS funding, the most important aspect of receiving supports is goal setting. All NDIS plans revolve around the goals that you, or your participants, set. These goals a key component to how much funding you gain and in what areas.  

Setting the wrong goals, then, can result in a plan that doesn’t support you in the ways it needs to.  

It’s key to set yourself up for success with goals that are relevant, and achievable, and to include things that you enjoy. Here are some tips to set better NDIS goals.  

Start with things that are relevant to you 

Are there improvements you’d like to make in your life? These improvements are a great place to begin when goal setting. But it’s essential to ensure that these improvements are relevant to you and where you’re currently at.

Having the goal, for example, to begin meaningful employment can be great, but it might be too ambitious for some depending on their circumstances. Consider what works best for you, what’s reasonable in the near future, and what might be possible with the right supports.  

On the other hand, it’s great to set goals that continually push you. The key is ensuring that the goals are both relevant and achievable.  

Start with goals first

Supports are there to help you towards your goals, not the other way around. When goal setting, rather than considering what supports you would like, think first about what things you’d like to achieve in the duration of your plan.  

Then it will become more obvious which supports you’ll need and when.  

If you want to engage with your local community more, for example, having transport to take you to and from those social activities, will be needed, as well as supports for engaging in those activities.  

Thinking about goals first will help provide clarity on what’s reasonable and necessary.  

Include things you enjoy  

It helps to set goals that you personally are excited to achieve –– that way you’ll be more likely to stay committed and you’ll have a greater chance of enjoying your plan. 

To do this, consider what you enjoy doing or things you’d really like to do and include those areas where possible as goals.  

Learning to drive, for example, is a goal that while challenging, can be a lot of fun and grant access to greater freedom. This might be something you’d like to have in your plan.  

Include goals you feel excited about will help with your overall success and can create more joy in your life.  

Have a mixture of short and long-term goals

The most successful plans often include a range of different goals that you can achieve at different milestones 

If all of your goals are short-term, you may overwhelm yourself by working on too many things at once. But, if all of your goals are set in the long term you won’t get the satisfaction of checking them off gradually.  

A mixture of both short and long-term will ensure you have things to work on now while being able to look ahead to the larger future goals.  

We’re here to help 

Have a question? Get in touch on 1300 60 33 89 or at [email protected] and we can help.