“Imagine yourself as an aeroplane. Setting goals is like having a destination before takeoff. If you know where you’re going, you can focus on the end result and get back on track if any obstacles get in the way. Without a set destination you’ll be knocked off course by the first obstacle in your path, and never end up reaching your destination. Without your own written goals, you’re like a plane that leaves the airport with no real destination in mind. Sure you might be able to take off and cruise for a while, but eventually you WILL land somewhere… and that somewhere may not be where you want to be.”
(Retrieved 24/11/11 from http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/goal-setting-tutorials/smart-goal-setting)
The truth of the matter is that everyone has hopes and dreams. They can be big or small and the great thing about goals is that you can set them at any age. A boy in year 5 said that he hopes to attend NIDA (Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art) one day. He’s charismatic and a few years from now we can very well see him on our TV screens. A teacher walking past was saying she wished she could be more organized and have more time to pursue some of her interests. It’s easy to see that everyone has something they want to achieve. They can be things you want to achieve in the near future or they can be long term goals.
Guide to goal setting
- You need to picture what it is you want in your head. The more detailed the picture the more real the goal becomes. Don’t hold back your imagination.
- To get started, now you need to write down what you have seen in your mind. Give yourself a general outline of what you want to do. Try to do this in a quiet area way from any distraction.
- Look at the goals you’ve written. Are they realistic? Though no one should ever tell you what you can or can’t achieve, you also need to be honest with yourself. For example if your goal is to be a millionaire in a couple of
months you may need to rethink your goal. No one is saying you won’t be a millionaire but being a millionaire takes time and a lot of hard work. So think hard about your goals. - Now you’ve set good realistic goals you need to break it down a little. If your goal is to get into NIDA, you need to think of the little steps that will get you there. You might consider taking acting or singing lessons in order to
keep your talent growing. Also think about auditioning for any plays or musicals in your area. If you’re in high school take subjects such as drama or dance to ensure you get into NIDA. By the time you audition to get into the school you’ll have a lot of experience and can confidently achieve your goal. The more proactive you are the more serious your goal becomes. If you’re like the teacher who wants to be more organized and have time for your hobbies then write down what you do on a typical day. Assess the things that are too time consuming. Another thing you can do is prepare for the day ahead the day before, whether it is packing lunch the day before or just having everything organized ready to start your day. By doing this you can add extra time to your day. - After a while you need to come back to your goals and have a look at them again. Sometimes you just need a reminder on what it is you want to achieve. Sometimes you might find that your goal has changed and so you must change your written goals accordingly. Make it something you do every two weeks.
These are some easy steps you can use in order to achieve your goals.
Other great motivational sites include:
http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
http://www.goal-setting-motivation.com/
Goal setting at My Academy
At My Academy we recognise that goal setting leads to success. That is why we have our students goal setting at an early age. In our Skill builder programme the students write down goals they’d like to achieve for the duration of their tutoring. We check them every week and reward students with stars for their progress. Collecting a certain amount then leads to a prize. We place importance on working on and achieving goals. We hope that in this way the children develop a habit of goal setting not just for school but for other aspects of their life as well, becoming life-long learners and goal-setters.
Contact us at My Academy
Phone: (08) 9284 4408
Email: info@myacademy.com.au
Location: Suite 9/1 Leura Avenue Claremont WA 6010
Article by Maxine
