Why aren’t you reaching your Goals 📉❓

Wouldn't it be swell if reaching Goals were as easy as 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ 📈❗

What’s coming UP? What’s NEW?

🆙 Strategy sessions! First up is the HABITS STRATEGY SESSION - Sat. Sept 21 (maximum four students). Go here for more details or to register.

🆕 Coach Edison editions. Insightful strategies for math (and life)❕

Now onto that Goals article ➡

A Goal is something you don’t have now but aspire to have in the future.

With the start of a new school year this month, today I thought I talk about Goals❗

🗓 Every September almost every math student follows a ritual. They set a Goal 📈 for math because it’s the start of a new 🆕 school year. A new beginning. Turning the page 📖. A blank canvas 📄. The Goal becomes a re-solution to last year’s math course when things didn’t go according to plan. And with a new goal, enthusiasm and eagerness are in the air, Don’t worry mom. I got this. Really, I do. It’s under control … you’ll see … no worries … 😁

September Goals vs January 1 Resolutions 🎆

Math goals to begin a ‘new’ school year, mirrors the tradition many adults do on January 1^st each year when they set a New Years Resolution – something ‘new’ 🆕 is starting and they set a ‘new’ goal. But we’ve all heard conversations around why most people who set New Year’s Resolutions don’t achieve them, and it turns out with math students, September goals follow a similar pattern.

🗓 Except with math, October 1^st, becomes the ‘hold your breath date’ on whether those initial effusive excitedly said words to start the school year, Don’t worry mom, I got this, really, I do. It’s under control … I’ll work harder this year, are altered, changed, adjusted, transformed, modified, revised to “I don’t feel like doing this. Math is hard. Why do I have to do homework? 😧

But let’s back up a bit and talk about your Goal 📝.

Why might you not reach your ‘new’ September Goal (aka new resolution)? If a goal is something you want, how is that want any different than a hope or dream or a wish or daydream, or even a hopeful wish? There’s a massive difference as a Goal isn’t just thinking of a ‘thing’ that would be nice to have - it takes much more than that to bring a Goal to reality.

Reaching your goal involves doing just three steps. Three! 3️⃣

1^st You set a Goal
2^nd You make a Plan - a list of the steps to follow to get to that goal
3^rd You follow the plan - aka you Do the steps!

That’s it! Goal-Plan-Do! Sounds simple enough, easy as 1-2-3, right?
Simple, but what could go wrong?
Well, actually a little and a lot.
Let me explain:

1^st THE GOAL 1️⃣

Many students set a ‘Goal’ and then stop. But that’s not a Goal, that’s a hope, and without a plan a hope can create future problems.

The goal set could be too big a jump – meaning you don’t have the habits or the motivation to get there.

Or the goal is not specific enough to be able to picture in your head - I’ll do my homework, I will work harder, aren’t Goals. They’re hopes, and are too vague. A Goal needs to be broken down into specific, mini-goals that help it to be crystal clear. Here’s an example:

“Work harder is my Goal”. Work hard is not a goal as it’s too general, not specific enough, not crystal-clear! What does work hard mean? Hard so you sweat or more hours to math work or hard as in hard questions or hard as in more homework ...  A crystal-clear goal is the beginning to shift that to make the hope, dream or wish more real! And if it’s real, it’s reachable.

I will do more homework this year! Well, that’s a bit better but how much more homework? How many minutes a day? When will you do it? Where will you do it (at your desk, living room, at school, on the train ...)? For how long? At what time of the day (after school, dinner, late in evening)? … The magic starts to happen when you get specific!

Get an 80 in math this year! Yeah, that’s my goal. And I want it to show up on my report card in February 2024. Okay, that’s clearer – though how will you need to do on quizzes, tests, assignments, exam, to get that 80? Goal success begins with details.

Can you explain your Goal to someone in one sentence?

Yes, one sentence. If you can, then it’s crystal-clear for you and them - you can both picture it! Here’s an example: I will understand the math this year, and I’ll know I understand it if I can answer any why questions!

The plan on how you’re going to get to your Goals,

Do more homework, Get an 80, Understand more … well, that’s the second step.

2^nd THE PLAN 2️⃣ - steps to take you towards your goal

The plan is the steps to follow, or think of them as the directions you’re going to do to increase the chances of reaching your goal.

How will you know what steps to put in your Plan?

You’ll get a few clues on possible steps if your Goal is specific and easy to visualize. And you’ll get better with this through experience. If Goals are new to you, you’ll need to get help with the plan - do some brainstorming, ask someone whose had success in achieving their goals, or hire an expert (e.g. Goals coach).

What do I do with my students?

1^st I get them to set a Goal. And then we’ll talk about it to make certain the Goal is crystal-clear (easy for them to visualize).

2^nd Next, we’ll make a plan that shows them the steps they have to follow. This has them see the steps in advance!

What’s your goal and steps to follow examples:

An A in math! I respond with okay here’s the 15 steps you’ll need to do. Start with step 1, then move to step 2, then step 3 ... and yeah, it’s like walking up a steep hill ⛰, but it’s a hill you said you wanted to walk, right?

Understand math is the Goal! Got it, and here’s the 8 steps you’re going to need to do – Do this step first, then this step second, and then … Think of each step as a mini-goal, that needs to be achieved first. It’s like building blocks – you need a base, then you build on that!

Tip: For you, your steps to follow have to be so clear you can envision and create a movie in your head on it.

3^rd FOLLOW THE PLAN 3️⃣ - DO your steps!

Now that you know the steps in the Plan that will take you from where you are now (the start) to your Goal (the end), what’s next? THE DOING! Just DO. DO anything. DO something. DO. DO it. GO for it! Why? Because to get that Goal you’ll need to be doing. And if you DO, and don’t reach the goal, then that doing will have led to new habits, and those new habits will be something you can stand on 🪑 to help you reach the next Goal you’ll set. 😊

DO: Need more on importance of ‘Doing’ and a little inspiration?

DO #1:
2500 years ago, give or take a few years, a famous philosopher spoke the words, ‘To know and not to do is not to know’ – translated means, you can know the steps to follow (2️⃣) but if you don’t do them (3️⃣), then you actually don’t know … which means you won’t reach your Goal (1️⃣). And that’s a wise guy talking!

I’d imagine one of his rebel followers probably didn’t get famous for saying it more positively, To know and to do gets you closer to your Goal. 😏

DO #2:
About 40 years ago, a now famous sneaker company 👟 tried to inspire the world with their 3-worded slogan, “Just do it”. Just …  do … it. It wasn’t, “Do it” which all the world knew as sage Goals advice to follow, but just not enough to spur them into action. No, by adding one extra word, ‘Just’ the sneaker company was saying, you know what go for it … DO it, Just DO it … because you never know what will happen … if you just DO it! 😊 Just get it done! Though now, in 2024, it might be upgraded to a reminder, Just do it … please!

Do #3:
10 years ago, a championship winning football coach told his players this mantra - Do your job! DO … your … job! You’re a math student, what’s YOUR job?

DO: And one more thing about Step 3, doing that Plan.

Doing steps are easy if you enjoy doing the steps 😊 in the plan, as you’re motivated.
Unfortunately, doing is not going to be easy if don’t like doing those steps ☹ - which is a common occurrence when chasing math goals. I don’t feel like doing it … when translated means motivation low - like running on low and need a fill up ⛽!

DO: What to do if motivation low?

Either figure out a way to up 🆙 your motivation! Get a fill up! Or if you’re good at creating positive habits, then less motivation needed.

Basically, what I’m saying is the ability to create habits is more important than getting motivated, as positive habits depend less on how you’re feeling. Why? Plus, it is easier to create a positive habit than to figure out how to get motivated! And that’s why I’m doing the HABITS STRATEGY SESSION as the first session - it’s the bedrock of Goals and Motivation. Go here to register for the HABITS Strategy session next week, Sat. September 21, 2024.

DO: I’d recommend you start now!

Now that you know the Goal-Plan-DO strategy, go for it, DO the steps. Get giddy about your Goal! If you reach the goal fabulous, give yourself a high-five 🖐🏼 and enjoy your new-found status and habits! If you reach 85% of the goal, or 70% of it or 50% of it, also give yourself a pat on the back ✔, as you got closer, much closer than if you did nothing. And more importantly you now have new positive habits that will be useful for future goals. Yay! 😊

Lastly, exhale 😮! There’s a question I want you to ask yourself.

But before I ask you the question, I want to remind you of the forever-famous Canadian-comedian-movie-actor 😊 who uttered the words, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”. This was his response when told his odds of ‘success’ were “… 1 out of a million”. Still makes me laugh 🤣 whenever I think about it. “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance?”!  HA! So funny! There’s always a chance … if you do!

Here’s the question, I want you to ask yourself, “Am I willing to bet on myself that I will reach my Goal?

This is a question of your self-belief, your self-confidence - you’ve set a goal, made a plan and about to DO the plan. How confident are you that you’ll reach it?

Betting on yourself is an interesting question, as you’ve never done this Goal-Plan-DO before! But I’ll say this to you: you’re more likely to bet on yourself if you’re motivated (e.g. willing to run through a door to achieve it) and/or have the positive habits needed or are good at creating habits or if you’ve set goals and reached them in the past. So, are you willing to bet on yourself?

Coach Edison
Insightful strategies for math (and life) 🚦❕

Other helpful links related to reaching your goals    

1. The action required ‘move’ yourself whether you feel like doing it or not – that’s called, Motivation

2. Input-Output-Machine for Life: Your Input is the three steps - Goal, Plan, Do. The Output tells you your progress towards your Goal. You are the Machine!

3. Goals are part of the 75% non-math skills you need to do to get the math!

4. Creating Habits

5. Bet on yourself