I know the typical saying is “New year, new you” but.. what if you don’t really WANT a new you… and instead just an IMPROVED you Think about it. You got yourself this far, cant be all that bad. You don’t want to change all the things that make you …you. Keep your favorite music, your favorite foods and that hoodie you love. Get rid of the habbits that lead to nothing good or self dissapointment and instead add in a couple good habits. NEW habbits.
This past fall I found myself the head coach of a girls 12U club volleyball team.This wasn’t intentional, and yet I couldn’t be happier that this is where Ive ended up 3 nights a week.WOW does being the head coach come with a LOT. Lesson plans, game line ups, team bonding, scheduling tournaments, juggling covid restrictions, planning, planning, planning. And honestly… I spend most of my time thinking about the girls and what I want them to learn this year, above and beyond volleyball. One of those main things is goals. Goal setting and how important it is.
We started the season off by stating what our individual goals were and with that, came up with team goals. A few weeks have passed and last night it was time to take it a step farther. I had them write their goals on a smooth flat rock. Then they decorated the rock and placed the rock outside the gym on their way out after practice. Fun craft right? Sure… but so much more.
Earlier their goals were things like “have fun with volleyball” , “have enoughconfidence in myself to try serving” and “be friends with the team”. Last night we took their goals further and talked about having defined goals. You see.. general goals are great, but if you don’t define those goals and get specific.. how can they be measured? You have to break down your goals into almost “mini goals” so they act as a stepping stone. Start with the first, achieve and keep going until you have reached that ultimate goal. Last night the girls wrote things about perfecting their sets, getting a certain number of correct approaches in when they hit ( an achievement for sure at this age) and serving overhand. All of these are volleyball related… but now more specifc.
Now… when they walk into practice… they will look for their rock. I didn’t tell them too, I know they will. I still look for mine at DoubleJ’s office evey day. You just do it. And when you see it… you will be reminded of that goal you choose for yourself. You walk in that door with a renewed sence of duty. more enthusiasm for your tasks at hand.
New goals are envigorating. BUT they wont always be. Its a goal because you dont currently have it. To get it, you’ll have to change. To work. To sacrifice. Its exciting at first… but it will become work and that work will get harder and you are going to need that push. That reminder of why you are doing it at all. The rocks are just my way to encurage the team to set a goal, be reminded of that goal, and to push them each practice.
Have you set a new goal this year? Is it measurable? Is it specific enough that there is no grey area on what direction you are going or when you will get there?
Have you wrote it out and posted it so you see it every day? You are going to need it. Its going to get hard, if it doesn’t, was it really a goal at all? More just a decision.
Hopefully this year you get to meet not the NEW you… but the you that you have always wanted to be. The improved you. Good luck… you got this