Setting Goals
What Are Goals?
Think about something you want, it can be having something or doing something. For example, winning a martial arts tournament can be a goal, but so could earning a new belt or skill. But not everything you want is a goal. For example, eating meatloaf for dinner or having a match with your friend tomorrow likely aren’t goals.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a normal thing you want and a goal, but a few things make goals different. Goals are usually something difficult to achieve, you have to work hard to accomplish them. Goals may even take a long time to achieve, so you have to work at it for a lot of time before you can get it.
Why Should I Set Goals?
Setting goals can actually help you achieve them! Since it’s difficult to tell the difference between a goal and a regular thing you want, setting goals can help you get focused. If you set a list of a few goals you want to achieve, you can concentrate on them and think about them from time to time. Keeping your goals in your mind helps you work harder because your brain knows what your reward will be.
When you set goals, you also get the joy of crossing them off your list. This can help you feel accomplished and show you how much progress you’re making. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell if you’re getting better at something but setting small goals can help you see just how much better you’ve become.
How Do I Set Goals?
Sit down and write up a list of goals. To make it simple, you can just write three goals you want to achieve. These have to be something you really want, but you’re free to write whatever you like. Even if it may seem impossible, almost anything can be achieved with the right determination! After you set your goals, it’s time to set your time limit.
Some goals may take very long. For example, if you’re still a kid, it could be years before you’re a master at martial arts. To make it easier, try to set a goal you’ll achieve in a few years, a goal you’ll achieve in a few months, and a goal you can achieve this month. This way, you have a lot of things to look forward to and work towards!
What Happens if I Don’t Reach My Goals?
Sometimes you may miss a goal. This is natural and nothing to worry about! As long as you try your best, that’s all that matters. For example, if your goal was to win a big tournament this year and you didn’t achieve it, there’s always next year! It’s important to look back on all the goals you did achieve, and all the progress you made.
Goals can also change as you get older. Maybe you wanted to become a tournament martial artist, but now you enjoy teaching and training others more. Do you have to stick to a goal you don’t want anymore? Certainly not! Goals are meant to help you become the person you always wanted to be, and if that dream changes, you can change your goals too.