The dawn of a new semester is upon Union. Now only a month into the New Year and halfway through the school year – it calls for a specific path to success. Goal setting, routines, and discipline provide powerful tools to drive accomplishment. Students will be entering another grading period, AP students will soon be diving into exam season, and spring sports will soon commence. 

Whether your goal is to show up on time to first period, chase down New Year Resolutions, improve your cooking abilities, or improve upon your fitness, there must be a method in place to make sure these goals are possible. Often, individuals set goals, but never see results. In fact, after the biggest goal-setting holiday – New Year’s, there’s “Quitter’s Day,” which ironically is not even two weeks into January, on the 10th. This goal-setting dilemma happens year-round but, here is what you can learn to avoid it. 

According to the National Society of Leadership and Success, for short-term goals, SMART goal setting is best, and for long-term goals, the PACT method is best. 

To break it down – SMART stands for the requirements a goal has to meet. It has to be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Rewarding, and Time-Bound. For example – say your goal is to get an “A” on your next math test, you can measure it on the grade accomplished, study for thirty minutes after school every day leading up to the test, and when you get that “A” – reward yourself with a sweet treat. Kristina Vincent says that she accomplishes her goals the most when she shares her progress with others or has an accountability buddy. This is an excellent example of how her goals become easily measurable. 

Now for long-term goals – PACT. It stands for Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous, and Trackable. Kyle Leung focuses solely on one goal at a time, and just continuously shows up. He says to, “Take the small steps to achieve the big goal.” Say your goal is to achieve all “A’s” second semester, and the purpose is to set yourself up for a successful career. An actionable plan would be to each week jot down all the assignments, tests, and studying you must do, then set down a schedule for when and how you will accomplish these tasks, and maybe slot a time before or after school when you do uninterrupted work with no distractions. To make this goal Continuous you could adapt throughout the semester as you figure out what works best for you. Maybe doing the assignments all on a Saturday in one go works best, each evening for an hour with a hot tea, or right after school with a quick snack. Then to make this goal trackable, you could cross off the assignments you’ve accomplished and check skyward for all your grades. 

Now that the methods are laid out, here’s how you can apply them yourself and avoid the common syndrome of “Quitter’s Day”. First, write out your goals and fill out the method acronym. This way it holds you accountable and makes the path to success clear and disciplined. For instance, Sohini Mukherjee yearly writes out her goals – she remarked, “I like looking at my goals, and it helps keep me motivated throughout the year.” In addition, using a daily planner, having a diagram of your goals, or even a Pinterest board adds a fun way to help you further visualize your goals. To end Narina Tanous said in words of encouragement for people chasing their goals, “ I believe in you.”

Comment down below your favorite ways to achieve your goals!