SETTING GOALS TO
IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
AVOID BURNING THE
MIDNIGHT OIL
“If you don’t know
where you are going, any road can take you there” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in
Wonderland
The current
education system has parents prioritizing their childrens’ future over all
else. The quest for affordable, accessible education is an on-going challenge.
The diverse
curriculum today, requires students to be more engaged and devoted to their studies.
Unfortunately, at this age students are distracted by the evolving facilities at
their disposal. This is where setting and achieving goals become important
criteria for students and parents and teachers need to encourage, guide and
help them in the same.
In this
blog, I am going to talk about goals as a 2-way process
1- Setting Goals to improve performance
2- Steps to achieve them
Knowing what
a student wants to achieve, will help them understand what they need to
concentrate and improvise on.
1- How to set
goals to improve performance-
Set clear and tangible goals- Create goals that are clear, sharp,
defined and specific. Writing down a grade in a subject for a term (Unit/Term
Tests) with a deadline to achieve it is better than saying, “I need good grades.”
Note that you should increase your grades a notch higher based on where you
currently are as it motivates you to push a little more and remember not to compete
with others. The competition has to be with yourself. The key to following your
goals is to write them down and this is your first step.
Create a Timetable- While creating a timetable, as thumb
rule always keep about 25% time vacant so that you can use it when any
‘emergency’ crops up. Stay focused with your task at hand and avoid distraction
as much as possible. Use a checklist and schedule your day in a way that you don’t
tire yourself. You will need to schedule tougher, core subjects at the start of
the day and lighter (fun/ subjects that you like) for the latter half of the
day.
Make your
timetable bright, interesting and fun, you can also create a soft copy using
pictures, videos, music.
Remember to make
time for sport, activities and play.
Set
deadlines- Setting a
deadline can be a challenge because we do not tend to measure goals regularly
and therefore it is easy to put things off for another day. We need to let
urgency set in- setting a deadline will bring in commitment which in turn kicks
in focus and you find ways to do it.
It is
important to break the goal into bite-sized chunks within time frames to
achieve more and feel satisfied every day.
Monitor
each day- At the end
of each day, monitor what you have achieved and set your plan for the next day.
This is an important step to keep your eyes on the goal. Know that each
short-term goal takes you closer to your long-term goal.
2- Steps to
achieve your goals-
Take the
first small step- It
is easy to procrastinate however if you wait for the right moment, it may never
happen, and you will lose your trust in goals. Take the first step even if it
is small and most times, it always is.
Build the
knowledge and skill you need- Now is the time! Learn a new skill, read, attend a class,
and upgrade your knowledge. Find fun ways to study. Overcome your fears- you
will grow when you try things you are uncomfortable with. You will fail many a
times, just remember, NEVER GIVE UP. Review and fix your mistakes, dust
yourself and move on. Remember that opportunities wait at the end of your
comfort zone.
Stay focused
and motivated-
Distractions may be galore, it is however important to stay focused. Keeping
your phone away from you is critical here- especially staying away from social
media. You will need to create little incentives for yourself as a form of reward
that will keep you motivated.
Creating a
buddy system will keep you motivated as you will have an accountability partner,
just remember to concentrate on the goal.
Goals are
important and help you concentrate on what’s critical. The most beautiful part
is that it forces you out of your comfort zone, allows you stay focused and
meet your potential. Don’t wait before it is too late, take that first step to
see the difference.
