If You Aim at Nothing...

...You'll hit it every time. I've heard Zig Ziglar use that quote, and it is absolutely true. If we fail to set goals for ourselves in all walks of life, we will just drift along and really not accomplish much.

I have seen it in my running countless times. When I have a marathon that I know if coming up, I know exactly what my goal is and I start to plan exactly how I what I am going to do in the weeks/months leading up to it. I know I need at least one 20 mile run, and a week or two prior to the race to recover. Knowing that the marathon is coming and if I do not train properly, I will risk injury (either to my pride or physically). Conversely, after running my last my race of the spring which is the Oklahoma City Marathon, my plan is to continue to run and keep myself in shape over the summer in preparation for the fall schedule. The problem is that if I do not have a definite race to train for, it is near impossible for me to remain motivated and stick to a schedule. I like to think of myself as highly motivated, but the stark reality is that without a goal, it is hard to maintain, improve, and continue to press on.

I see this in my classroom as well. If I do not have a goal for myself and my students, we will coast along and wake up in April wondering where the time went. Having an end-of-course exam and setting a goal for all of my students to score commended gives me a target and reinforces what I am doing. All that we do as educators should revolve around helping students be successful and preparing them for their future. When we break that goal up into something measurable, it empowers us and gives us a sense of direction. Students need goals and it is important that we as educators model that process for them.

The summer time is a great chance for teachers to set new goals for themselves in all areas of life as well as begin planning their goals for the upcoming school year. Start small. Make a list of what you want to get done this week and even tomorrow. When I put it down on paper, I have found that things get done. Very few people write down their goals, but if we will make a conscious effort to do so, what seemed at first as insurmountable will eventually be a reality.