Be a Girl with Goals!
Happy new year, everyone!
As you toss out your old calendars and replace them with new ones, think about what the New Year means to you. I like to look at the change from one year to another as tearing a marked up, scribbled sheet of paper out of a notebook and starting over on a new, clean sheet of paper. That’s what the New Year is for a lot of people–a clean slate and a fresh start!
The New Year is the perfect time to reevaluate things in your life and make changes. In addition, it’s also a great time to start setting goals for yourself and thinking about what you can do in order to accomplish those goals.
First, I’d like to start by saying that whatever goals you want to set or things that you may want to change in your life, you should do because YOU want to, not because others want you to. The best thing about reaching a goal is the self-satisfaction you get when you accomplish something that you really set your mind to and worked so hard to achieve. It’s nice to have others be proud of you and happy for you, but that shouldn’t be your sole reason for reaching goals.
Another thing about goals is that they really help you grow as a person, and setting and reaching a goal is a sign of maturity. When you set goals for yourself that you are really serious or passionate about, it teaches you to have clearer focus, persistence, and to make more effective use of your time. These are three things that teach responsibility and help you grow as a person! There is nothing worse than setting goals for yourself that you don’t work hard enough, or take out the proper time, to meet. This is why it’s important to really sit back and think about the things you desire and want to achieve; keep working toward reaching your goals, even when it seems nearly impossible; and set aside and better manage your time to put into reaching your goals.
No goal is too big or too small. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Sometimes, really big goals take a little more time to achieve. This is why you want to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to reach these larger goals. It also helps to break up bigger goals into smaller ones. For example, if you want to bring your GPA from a 3.1 to a 3.4, it would be pretty tough to accomplish within a year. A suggestion is to break this goal into smaller ones. Maybe set a small goal for each semester until you make it to your desired GPA. Setting realistic and reasonable goals can help prevent disappointment and help you to stay focused and dedicated by seeing that your goal isn’t as far out of reach as you may think. Don’t forget to celebrate each small victory of meeting each small goal!
Again, the best and most rewarding part about setting goals for yourself is the feeling you get when you reach them! Whether your goal is to make the honor roll, become vegan or join a team at your school, each achievement should be taken heavily and should be celebrated! Not everyone is able to stick it out and reach their goals, so when you do, give yourself a pat on the back because you deserve it!
Sincerely,
Tatyana Phelps
Girl Talk Marketing Volunteer
Girl Talk is a peer-to-peer mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. Our mission is to see confident girls to grow up to be confident women who are strong leaders and are passionate about giving back to their community.