Winter break is coming to a close and the collegiate members of society are heading back to school. We’re looking at a new year and a new semester. The air is fresh and it’s hard for us to determine whether it’s because of the cold or because of the clear, bright futures that are ahead of us. We have a semester of the school year under our belts and we’re ready to tackle this one. We have our schedules. We’ve (hopefully) ordered our books. We’ve decided what clubs and activities we want to continue devoting our time to. With the next five months shaping up, we’re starting to set goals for ourselves. This is awesome- setting goals is a HUGE part of progressing as we continue our education and prepare for our lives. But how do we keep our momentum when we get into the swing of the second semester?
The most important thing is to actually keep track of goals, both big and small. I like to organize myself by making lists, for example. I’ll write a list of the things I want to accomplish by a certain date and hang it up as a constant reminder of what I’m working towards. Another idea is creating a vision board. This is another reminder that can be hung up in a dorm room or work space. It’s more visual than a list, however, and calls for more creativity. A vision board is made up of pictures that pertain to your goals (for example, if you want to make/save money for a car, you could paste a picture of that jeep you want surrounded by dollar signs) and little things that inspire you (like wise words in artsy fonts). Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you want on the board, but I find it’s easier to translate larger, long-term goals into something this visual.
Once you have your goals down on paper and hanging somewhere that’ll keep you focused on them, you can switch your lens and zoom in. What can you do on a day-to-day basis that will help you accomplish your goals? If you’re working towards a high GPA, for example, you have to make an effort all the time. You can write important dates in your planner and set aside study time for different subjects on different days. You can’t simply write down a goal that depends on the cumulation of different projects and grades and hope for the best at the end of the semester- you tackle it step-by-step while keeping that GPA in mind. If your goal is to learn guitar, you take that step-by-step as well by learning and practicing a few chords a week and moving onto songs when you’re feeling comfortable. The point is that while nothing big can come together in one day, you have to break down your goals and do a little bit at a time. Then those single days add up and you’re a giant step closer to achievement.
Big goals, little goals, and everything in between take time to accomplish. When you get there, it’s the combination of that final moment AND the day-to-day steps you took that give you the feeling of success. It’s about the journey. Stay on path and keep that peak moment in mind and you’ll get there! Oh, and if you have any tips or tricks that help you focus on meeting your goals, add a comment. Good luck this semester!!!
