Goals That Actually Get You Somewhere! Part 1
Have you ever tried goal-setting and it just didn’t work?
You made these big fancy goals to be able to do 32 fouette turns by Christmas, or to get a job at your favourite company… You set the goal, you believed in yourself, you waited…. but it never happened! Grrrr! Or worse, you worked hard-core at your goal for a week or 2, only to get so frustrated with yourself that you stopped trying.
So, you give up on goal-setting, because it all seems like a giant waste of time!
I know because I’ve been there.
I used to be an expert goal-setter, but a distastrous goal-achiever! That was until I learnt about the missing link between goal-setting and goal-achieving, which makes all the difference.
The Missing Link
Have a plan.
Duh, you might say. But you would be surprised just how many goals sit collecting dust because they never got converted into a step-by-step action plan!
Dancers tend to set pretty ambitious goals for themselves, which is great, but the bigger the goal, the more steps it needs to be broken down into, if you ever want to achieve it. Otherwise, it stays too big, too hard, and you get too easily discouraged.
Smaller steps give you a sense of achievement and the chance to relish and reward your progress, even if there is still a fair way to go until you reach your ultimate goal.
Break It Down
Start by writing where you are now and where you want to get to at opposite ends of a piece of paper. Then, think about what some stepping-stones might be in between and mark them off along the way. Think of at least 6-10 milestones that will show you that you are progressing and keep you motivated as you go.
Still don’t get it?
Here’s an example: Your goal is to be able to do 32 fouette turns. Where you are now is that you can do about 12 before your supporting calf muscle gives up on you and you conk out (oh, and you usually travel about 3 metres too!).Some in-between steps might be:
- Do 12 rises on each leg at the barre everyday during warm up until you can manage easily without strain.
- Continue as above adding 1-2 extra rises until you can do 32 easily without strain.
- Do 12 releves to pirouette position in the centre after every class until you can do them easily without strain, staying on the spot.
- Do 12 turns from 5th position after every class until you can do them easily, without strain, staying on the spot.
- Do 12 turns on one leg, keeping the working leg in pirouette position, after every class until you can do them easily, without strain, staying on the spot.
- Do 12 fouette turns after every class until you can do them easily, without strain, staying on the spot.
- Repeat turns adding 1-2 extra turns until you can do 32 easily without strain, staying on the spot.
Now, these are all very physical steps to your goal. And that might work for you, but you may also find that other problems crop up, in your technique or in your mind, that need to be addressed before you can move any further forward… Fortunately, my next blog post will talk more about tweaking your plan to accommodate the blockages and setbacks on the way to your goal.
But for now, grab a piece of paper and start making a plan for your most pressing goal. You’re already on your way to achieving it, just by sitting down and taking the time to plan the steps out!
Let me know how you go in the comments, or if you need any help with the steps or how to get around blockages, feel free to ask… I’m here to help remember!
Update: to read Part 2, click right here!
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