Creating short-term goals to reach the top of your mountain
Opinion
By: Shlomo Fishman
Capital Recreation is in business to make recreation accessible to all. I am not here to tell you the what, the who, and the when. I am here to support and encourage your positive behaviors. I am a Certified Recreational Therapist (CTRS) breaking down barriers to leisure and recreation participation. This blog is here as a tool to spread my personal thoughts and ideas. But most of all, to create community!
Every coin has two sides. When you get to a fork in the road you can either go right or left. In an elevator you can only go up or down. You see the pattern here. From a young age (at least for myself), I was taught that life was all about one or two, left or right, or up and down. Unbeknown to me, I was being constructed to fit within a specific mold, box, or label. That was, until I reached high school. In high school I was told I don’t need to take the elevator. Rather, I could create something entirely new. Something that I could call my own and draw my own boundaries and parameters. Which leads me into the concept or idea of new beginnings.
We are all too often told that we need to create big bold and radical goals if we want to succeed. We aren’t told that it starts with one step, progress isn’t linear, and setbacks are part of the process. I am here to say that it is amazing to have big bold and beautiful goals. Though it is also about being flexible in the methods we use to get from point A to point B. Those new years goals which you made last December/January, where do you stand? What type of progress have you been making? Are they still relevant? So much has changed!!
Join me in taking a new look at the calendar year.
From my experiences, when it comes to setting goals most if not all of us look at the year from Jan 1 – Dec 31. This is a major problem! (You might be thinking … has Shlomo fallen off his rocker!) Let me propose to you a bullet proof method for setting your goals and drawing your own painting.
Start here by breaking your calendar into increments. Here is how I break down the calendar. Jan 1 – Memorial Day, Memorial Day– July 4, July 4 – Labor Day, Labor Day – Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving – Dec 31.
Next, for that quarter set one ideal objective you would like to meet. Then create weekly and daily objectives. All focused around your ideal objective for the quarter.
Finally, it is about taking action. It is about being kind a gracious to yourself. It is about recognizing that we can do challenging things, and setbacks are part of the growth process. When you do come upon the end of a quarter it is about taking the time to evaluate and reevaluate as needed to help you get to your next check point. Good luck!!
Last but not least, I always love hearing from you and your personal journey. Share your moments of growth and success on social media using the hashtag #shlomotrained
Until next time – peace, and virtual fist bump going your way!
Capital Recreation 