Goals We Set are Goals We Get!

Welcome to 2023!!! We hope you have all had an amazing start to the brand new year, and are ready for 365 days of  new opportunities. Let’s keep up all the success we found in 2022, and see what records we can break in 2023! One of the best ways to keep the momentum going is by constantly setting and achieving new goals. Last week, we talked about how to make good New Year’s Resolutions that you can follow through on, and this week we’re going to talk more in depth about how to ensure that you can achieve every goal you set!

Goal Setting

As a quick summary of last week’s discussion, be sure to remember the S.M.A.R.T. acronym when it comes to deciding on your goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These qualities of good goals will help you set optimal goals that you are most likely to achieve. This doesn’t mean setting easy or simple goals, but rather goals that are realistic for you and what you want to do. This process also involves creating and following an Action Plan, which means listing the steps that need to be taken in order to make progress on your overall goal, and setting those steps as smaller objectives for you to complete along the way. Finally, it comes down to committing yourself, your time, and your energy to sticking to your Action Plan and reaching your goal!

The goal setting process is an important system that will help you on the road to achieving your aspirations. It is important to keep these concepts in mind no matter where you are along the way to achieving your goals. Children especially should remember these important tips to help them learn and practice this essential skill.

Kids might need a little extra help when it comes to setting and completing their own objectives, and that’s why we will be focusing more on the “Action Phase” of goal setting. As the name suggests, the “Action Phase” involves everything you do in between setting and reaching a goal. The quote for this week that we will be constantly reminding our students about, is “Goals we set are goals we get!”

Goals We Set are Goals We Get – What Does That Mean?

In short, this saying means pretty much exactly what it sounds like: we should be able to achieve the objectives we hold ourselves to. However, this phrase has many implications. For one, it is a headstrong motto; words to rely on for motivation and determination. It can be used to help you carry on and keep progressing on your goals, even when you start to feel down. For our kids, they may need a gentle reminder and push in the right direction, as they may lose interest in their goals when things may not be going the “right way.” Nonetheless, “Goals we set are goals we get” is a great dogma to get them back into it.

Another meaning of this phrase is that the goals we set should be ones that we are able to achieve. This principle is backed up by S.M.A.R.T. acronym, especially the Attainable and Relevant aspects. Children may need help finding an appropriate boundary for their goals, based on what they hope to achieve relative to their current position.

For example, our karate students share the common overall goal of earning their Black Belt, or next sequential Degree. One of the many things they must do in order to achieve that goal is to pass the physical test, which consists of at least 500 crunches and 200 pushups. Students of all ages and belt colors have this goal, but the way to go about achieving it will differ from student to student. For Brown Belts, it may be more realistic to set the goal to be able to do the entire thing, as they have been practicing Martial Arts for a while now, are generally a bit older, and will have to be able to perform this task sooner. For White and Gold belts, however, it would be unrealistic to set the goal right away to be able to do 500 crunches and 200 pushups. Instead, they will need to focus more on the technique of each drill, and start off with much smaller numbers. A good goal for White and Gold Belts would perhaps be just 10 crunches and 5 push ups, that way they can focus on learning how to do it the right way since they are generally younger students who probably have not yet fully developed the muscles necessary for higher numbers of these drills.

What this means is…

Set Progressive Goals

In order to get to the big picture goal (i.e. doing 500 crunches and 200 push ups), it is a good idea to set “progressive” goals. That means that the goals you set start off smaller, and you set progressively increasing goals as you achieve each one. Using the same Black Belt physical test example as before, White and Gold Belts may start off by setting the goal of being able to do 10 crunches and 5 push ups. Once they are able to do that, they can move onto the next goal of 20 crunches and 10 pushups.

It is important to note that by the time they complete the first goal and move onto the second, they will likely have been promoted to the next belt. This makes sense because it will take time and daily practice to develop the muscles enough to be able to complete the initial goal of 10 and 5. Furthermore, with each promotion of belt rank, the standards and expectations increase, too. The point is, the level of your goal should match the level of what you can and are expected to be able to do.

This can work for any big picture goal, where you intend on improving something by a sizable amount. Start small, and practice the necessary skills, and then gradually increase the magnitude of each sequential objective until you are able to reach the overarching goal.

Progressive goals will help you practice and develop the fundamental concepts needed for your goals in increments. Furthermore, achieving the smaller goals gives you motivation as you go, and helps you gain the momentum you need to keep reaching every next level! Progressive goals encapsulate the essence of “Goals we set are goals we get.”

Don’t Give Up!

Finally, another important use of the phrase is to keep the flame of determination going. Goals are going to be difficult to achieve. That is because challenge is what helps us grow. If we set goals we are already able to accomplish, they won’t force us to grow in order to achieve them. The nature of a goal is to provide a challenge to overcome, in order to improve in some area. When confronted with a difficult challenge, children may be inclined to just give up. You can remind them not to give up by utilizing the phrase.

“Goals we set are goals we get” means that if we decide on an objective, we should do everything we can in order to reach it. In other words, you should be setting goals that you know you can and will achieve. If we commit ourselves to following through on our ambitions, no matter what, it will condition us to stay strong, and will help us complete even more goals in the future!

If you or your children are starting to consider the option of giving up, just repeat the phrase over and over. “Goals we set are goals we get! Goals we set are goals we get! Goals we set are goals we get!” Make it a mantra to live by, that way you can maintain your motivation as you aim to complete your objectives.

Remember: you are capable of anything you set your mind to, but only through purposeful action and discipline! This saying will help you stay committed to your goals, and see them out to their completion. Don’t give up, just look at the problem from a different angle and go about it in a different way. Always keep in mind, “Goals we set are goals we get!”

In Our Classes…

This week, we will be focusing our character talks around this quote, and instilling it within our students minds that they should set goals that they are able to achieve. This can be done by using the phrase as a training guide through use of progressive goal-setting, or using the quote as motivation to stay determined. Our goal is to teach our students how to set proper goals that they are capable of achieving. We want to provide our students with a developed goal-setting skill set that will aid them and their ambitions throughout their life.

In Conclusion

In summary, goal setting is an important process to learn, but children may encounter some difficulty along the way. “Goals we set are goals we get” is a great phrase to help them understand how to set appropriate goals, and to make sure they achieve them! Goal setting is not only important in Karate, but every other area of life as well. Progressive goal-setting is another great way to practice these essential skills, and to teach kids how to make incremental progress that builds up. Finally, always remember to never give up, because a goal you set is a goal you will get!

What other ways can this phrase be used?

What does this phrase mean to you?