Every December and January, you’re bound to hear lots of talk about “New Year’s resolutions” as people look back on the year behind them and plan for the year ahead. Much of the time, the resolutions are a little unrealistic, and most people fail… often by February! But goal-setting is not something just for the new year; it is in fact a life-skill. You’ll set lots of goals throughout your life, so knowing a few ways to make them more achievable is always a plus! Planning and achieving goals gives you more self-confidence, shows you your strengths and weaknesses, and teaches you to be responsible.
The following points are key to good goal-setting, according to Education World:
* Write clear and measurable goals.
* Create a specific action plan for each goal.
* Read your goals daily and visualise yourself accomplishing them.
* Reflect on your progress to see if you are on target.
* Revise your action plans if needed.
* Celebrate your accomplishments.
Here are three fun ways to help you to plan and achieve goals that you can set for yourself. Which one do you like the best?
Number 1: Draw a wheel of fortune
This lets you set goals in different areas of life – it’s not all about school!
* Draw a circle and divide it into six segments (like pizza slices).
* In each segment, write one life area. For example, family, friends, school, hobbies, health and sports.
* Then write one or two goals that fall within that topic. For example, under “hobbies”, you may want to learn a new hobby or get better at it. So, you can plan to learn two new songs on the flute, within the next month. Make sure to choose a time-frame, as this will help you to keep on track and evaluate your progress.
Number 2: Create a vision board
Vision boards are creative ways for you to visualise your goals, especially big ones. It encourages you to think about what you really like and it keeps you motivated.
* Collect or create some images that represent your interests. These can be cut out from old magazines/newspapers, or you can print images out from the internet, or draw them yourself.
* Glue or pin the images onto a big piece of cardboard or foam board. You can also use some additional decorations such as glitter or ribbons.
* Share with your friends and family – show them the vision board and explain why you chose those images.
* Keep it somewhere you’ll see it often, such as in your bedroom or at your desk.
Number 3: Make a family bucket list
This one involves the whole family. Get everyone together with some paper, scissors and markers.
* Think of experiences and accomplishments you want to work towards over the whole year, and write them down on the paper. Cut them into individual pieces and place them into a container.
* At the end of the year, go through the list and see which goals have been accomplished. Then celebrate them together!
