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What will you work toward this school year? 5 things all goals should be
Xavier High School’s graduating seniors, including Jake Guckenberger, visited elementary schools in 2017 to get younger kids excited about a goal of graduating from high school. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)
Beginnings are full of potential.
The first day of school is a great time to set goals. The whole year is stretched out in front of you — what will you do with it?
Maybe you want to use your fresh start to turn more assignments in on time. Maybe you want to make one new friend. Maybe you are notorious for snoozing your alarm one too many times and want to work on waking up earlier.
Whatever goal you are motivated to reach is the right goal for you.
Experts recommend setting “SMART” goals. These goals are specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound.
If you wanted to work toward getting up earlier in the morning, your SMART goal might sound like this:
- Specific: I want to wake up 15 minutes earlier in the morning, so I’ll only snooze my alarm one time everyday
- Measurable: I’ll write down what time I get out of bed each morning so I can check my progress
- Achievable: For me, 15 minutes will be a challenge but I think I can do it
- Results-focused: Waking up earlier will help me feel more calm and ready before school starts
- Time-bound: I’ll try this for one month and see what difference it makes for me
Use this space to write your own goal for the first month of school (or longer, if your goal needs it). What do you hope you’ll improve by the end of September?
