in all my twelve years of public education, one of the few things i remember is my freshman health class. not only because it brought about a whole new level of teenage cringe and the raw awkwardness of the human body, but also because it taught me a little bit about how to approach life. stds and nutrition aside (not that those arenāt important to be informed of) my gym teacher talked a lot about goal setting.
whatās so hard about goal setting? you ask. well, depending on how you structure your goals and visualize them, your chances of success can increase. (note: not a proven science, but iāll just base it off my own personal experience.) iāve noticed over the years that iām more likely to achieve something if i can visualize it.
this is achieved by setting small, tangible goals and giving yourself realistic timelines. humans strive for progress we can see, which is precisely whyĀ āgetting fitā is such a hard resolution to stick with. this is why itās important to be specific in your goals.
consider it this way: these small goals are the stepping stones to the bigger picture. you have to work your way up to the penthouse, and then you can look back at how far youāve come. (started from the bottom, now weāre here)Ā sounds hella romantic, right? thatās the american dreamā¢. hard work shows results, you just have to be willing to take the time to bring them to the spotlight.
so iāve talked a lot about goal setting, but with little or no specifics. so, iāll shut my motivational trap before i go off on a tangent (again) and just get on with the post.Ā
the basics of goal setting
first things first (iām a realistĀ and i realize that itās currently 2019, but iām not ashamed of that one) think of your end goal
what do you want accomplish overall, when all the workbooks are finished, the books are shut and the notebooks are filled?Ā
what is your dream? the passion that keeps you up at night? the little lightbulb that just wonāt leave you alone?Ā
visualize it and use that as your motivation when youāre burnt out, when youāre doubting yourself, when youāre ready to quit.Ā
make it strong and make it yours
second, break it down into small little steps
chop that goal up like itās a vegetable and gordan ramsay is yelling at you to dice it before the soup burns
make a game plan! draw out how youāre going to approach the offensive line (yay for sports reference)
the key here is make these into toĀ measurableĀ milestonesĀ
these help you to visualize your progress and keep yourself accountableĀ
like i said, humans like results and without some type of proof of your labor, youāre twice as likely to get discouraged and give upĀ
we donāt want to throw away all that hard work for nothing!
hereās a example of small stepping goals :
say iām learning korean
then some of my goals might look like: learning the vowels of hangul by the end of the week, completing the level one text book in three months or watching the first few minutes of a kdrama without subtitles
you want to choose things that are physical; something your can witness with your own eyes
third, give yourself a deadline
the final tip for the first part of the series, yay!
but if youāre a procrastinator like me, then you know work wonāt truly get done until itās 2 am and youāre staring a deadline in the face
it explains my general state of sleep deprevation, but i have yet to completely change my ways on this
anyways, no one else knows your schedule like you do
you know youāre limits too
so keep that in mind when you start setting these goals
it helps to create a timeline; take a year, a month, a week, whichever suits your final goal the best
then look at your schedule and i mean really look
this is where you get the biggest bang for your buck
you need to be realistic of the time you have and how youāre likely to spend it
donāt schedule three workouts in a day if you know that youāve got a 8 am class and an essay due
be honest with yourself (keep in mind the time you allot for socializing, school functions and me time)
and it doesnāt have to be hours at a time, your can schedule vocab review on your bus ride to work or play a podcast while youāre getting ready in the morning
itās all about managing your time and being reasonable
woah, thatās a lot. gosh i hope i remember to save a copy of this later, because itās like 3 am and i want to go to bed. anyways, i hope you enjoy the first content post for this blog. iām sorry that it got a little wordy, but apparently i had a lot more to say than i thought. anyways, let me know if you guys liked this and/or want to see more? comments, questions and smiles are always welcome.
ā mia, a very tired human
