Family Self-Sufficiency: A Holistic View of Self-Regulation and Its Implications for Human Services Programs

Humans are wired to be goal oriented. Many of our daily behaviors are governed by simple goals that are so routine we are barely aware of them. For example, most of us would not consider our daily drive to work to be motivated by goals. Yet, we get in the car in the morning because our goal is going to work and we choose when to drive because our goal is getting to work on time. We get to work on time because we have a goal of completing our work, of keeping our jobs, or of using our income to pay for household necessities. These more simplistic goals are likely to support larger goals related to holding that specific job, including mastering a particular skill, achieving a financial goal, or moving ahead in a career. This cascade of simple, short-term goals that drive more complex, long-term goals is the foundation for much of our lives.