Goal Setting

Every year, around this time, we start to think about setting goals.

There are all sorts of different kinds of goals – big goals and small goals about learning and doing new and exciting things or making changes. Goals can be good things that push us to move beyond our comfort zone, but they can also feel stressful and overwhelming if we don’t feel that we can accomplish them.

What makes a good goal? How do you choose a great goal? Many websites will tell us to make S-M-A-R-T goals.

SMART stands for:

Specific:

This means that our goal is clearly defined. Saying you want to “be better at soccer” is a big goal, but what does that mean? Try using specific words like “I want to learn 3 new flick-up skills” or “I want to be able to run the whole field while dribbling the ball”. Being particular with the words that you use will help you understand what exactly you need to do to feel successful.

Measurable:

When we can see the outcome, it is easy to see if the goal is carried out or not. “I want to be a better writer” does not give us something we can measure, but “I want to write two pages every day” will give you a standard you can work towards. Make your measurements small and easy to achieve for the best feelings of success!

Achievable:

This is important when thinking about goals. Don’t forget to consider if the goal is something you can do. Make your goal something that you have control over.

Relevant:

Goals tell us about ourselves. They show what we love doing, what we are interested in knowing, how we are hoping to grow. Your goals must have meaning to you. Choose goals about things that make you excited or interested.

Timely:

It takes time to complete a goal. Make sure you have a reasonable timeline to complete your goal. If your goal is “to read more books”, give yourself the time in which you want to accomplish this. Do you need one year, two months, a few weeks to do this? Be specific and set yourself a timeline.

Now get going and make some great new goals for yourself!

Looking for more inspiration?

Here are some Sora titles that might help you as you think about your own goals and how to achieve them! Check them out and read on for more information!

Here are more great titles about kids overcoming obstacles by setting goals!