Goals
Goals are something that you hear teacher, coaches, parents, friends, nearly everyone under the sun will talk about. Every New Year’s we make a list of our resolutions sometimes halfheartedly with no real intent to follow through. Sometimes I think that goals are preached so much that as a whole the population just goes through the motions and throw out goals left and right. Write them down on assignments, or put them down in journals, spout out something random when the family goes around in a circle all taking turns naming our goals.
I feel that it’s so normal now that we have forgotten just how important having and working towards goals are. We don’t do it for ourselves anymore. Instead of going on and on by spouting the same ideals and facts as every other article about making goals, I want to take a different approach. I am going to talk about bows, and arrows, and targets.
Shooting Bows
Shooting a bow has a lot of different things you need to learn about the bow, the strings, the arrows. Thing is, when you are trying to learn to shoot that bow, what good would it do to just shoot into empty air? Can you learn anything if you just close your eyes point in a random direction and let it go? There really wouldn’t be a difference between the arrow just flopping to the ground a couple feet in front of you or if flying randomly off to the side, or up in the air. When you shoot that arrow, you need a target.
The Target
A target gives you focus. There is something you now need to work towards in order to actually show your success and your strengths. What would be just blind shooting now turns into a search. You search for the correct skills and nuances to hit that target. The way you hold the bow, and the arrow will change to have better control. The way you pull back the string will give you better strength in order to lead the arrow where it needs to go. Because of that target you can learn the right techniques and movements.
Here’s the thing about your targets. If you really want to learn to become great at shooting that bow, you need to do it in steps. Your target can’t start out so far out that you might as well be blind shooting. If that target is completely unattainable, how will you ever learn those techniques. With beginners and children, starting targets start so close, even as close as 5 yards. When you can actually make your arrow fly straight, then you can move that target out to 10 or 20 yards. You can work your way up learning the changes that come from the added distance. That target gave you what you needed to become better, a success, a victory.
What are the Targets?
I know that I have been SUPER subtle. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the targets I keep referring to are goals. So, I’m going to repeat myself a little bit but change the context.
A goal gives you focus. Something to actually show your success and your strengths. What would be blind efforts turns into a search for the correct skills to meet those goals. You will change to have better control and better strength to accomplish that goal. You will learn the right techniques. Your goals can’t be unattainable. Start those goals small until you learn those techniques. When you meet those goals you can stretch them, make them bigger. Learning the changes that you need to make from the added difficulty. That goal gave you what you needed to become better, a success, a victory.
I know I like to challenge everyone and today is no different. I challenge you, to really be serious. Sit down and really ponder what goals and accomplishments you want to achieve. Make some real goals that you can really commit to and work towards them with resolve. Make those goals and write them down. Comment and tell me what your target is going to be.
Mel's Health and Fitness 