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Tuesday Thought: Translating Goals into Action

New Year’s is coming, and so are the resolutions. We at NWSMA prefer to use “goals” instead of the word “resolutions,” because we believe that “resolutions” are easily broken the first time your priorities change.

We like the idea that goals are things to be achieved and worked towards. I’d like to invite all our students to start thinking about their 2013 goals.

But just setting a goal isn’t always good enough.

You have to know how to get there.

In martial arts, this is pretty easy. Your goal is to make it to black belt. First you test for yellow belt, then orange or green, and so on until black. (Well, maybe not easy, but you have the steps laid out for you).

For other goals, such as “getting in shape” or “saving money,” you might need to make a more concrete plan.

As you set your goals, think of behaviors, actions, or steps you need to take to get to that goal. If you need to, write it down; it will be like making a roadmap.

“Getting in shape” might mean jogging twice a week or trying to get to 100 pushups. “Saving money” might mean making coffee at home or checking out books from the library.

The goal is the what. It’s up to you to create the how. The more you think about the roadmap, the more you take conscious control of your actions and direct them towards your destination.

And you know what? It’s okay to fall short of your goal, fail, or take a new direction.

The journey is what counts.

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