Tips for NDIS Goal Setting

Resource Author: Bianca S. | NDIS Expert Last Updated: 11 March 2026

NDIS

What are your goals?

Goals are things you want to achieve with support from the NDIS and other supports and services. Examples may include: becoming more independent, getting a job, learning new skills, making friends etc.

Goals should focus on an outcome, rather than about the services needed to achieve the outcome. For example, if an NDIS participant attends a day program, the goal might be “To spend more time in my local community and develop skills so that I can be more independent”, not “To attend my day program.”

Every dollar in an NDIS plan needs to be used in a way that links to a goal written in the plan. For example, if you want support to get a job, you need to have it as a goal in the plan. That means that you need to write short-term goals in a way that ensures everything you need is covered in two goals.

Goals needs to be broad enough that you can make creative changes throughout the year and can use different types of services that would help achieve the goal.

We suggest that the easiest way for you to think about goals is to think about what’s important to you.

Use this list to think about all the aspects of your life and what is really important to you. It may be:

finding and keeping a job
improving relationships
independence in daily living
confidence in money management
doing more social and recreational activities
improved health and wellbeing
building confidence around public transport or learning to drive
learning something new
where you want to live, or
improving communication.

Understanding the link between what’s important to you, your goals and the supports you need.

This goal setting example may help you to understand how what’s important to you can be worded as goals, and how the supports you need will link with your goals.

1. Think about what’s important to you

I like attending book group every week.
I like participating in activities at my local Community Hub (meeting place).
I want to improve how I communicate.

2. Then work out your goals

My goals:

To increase my ability to access the community for social activities.
To be involved in the community and engage with others.
To improve my ability to speak clearly.

So the funded supports you need to achieve this goal might cover the following

3. I need:

(Help from) a Speech Pathologist to improve my communication
To attend the Community Hub (meeting place), and
A Disability Support Worker to get me to a Community Hub (meeting place) and book group.