It’s the New Year and chances are you have set some resolutions and goals for yourself. This time of year just seems to beckon people to set goals; doesn’t it? I am a big believer in setting goals. Our family has been setting, writing, and achieving goals for over two decades. In fact, I was a speaker several years ago at the National Swim School Conference (a goal I had set for myself) where I presented on – you guessed it – goal setting! Goals give us direction, help us take action, and promote our success.
Believe it or not, one of the great things your child is learning at Charlotte Aquatics besides swimming skills is goal setting. When our students strive to complete a skill level, they are setting a goal. They work hard and when they pass their level, they know they have achieved a huge accomplishment. We honor that success by taking their picture and putting it on our “Wall of Fame”.
Just as in real life, sometimes it takes several tries before we hit our goal. Our students have many skills in each level. Mastering those skills does not happen overnight, they must work hard, they must persevere. They learn to celebrate what they can do but know they still have some more work to hit that goal. What a great life lesson!
Setting goals increases our self confidence, boosts our motivation, causes us to take action, and improves our chances of success. Neuroscientists tell us that hard work and the expectation of realizing a goal activate positive feelings while suppressing fear and other negative emotions. Goal setting makes us happier! And you thought all your child was doing was learning how to swim! 🙂