Setting Goals

The first week of the semester is upon us, which brings our first team meeting of the year, and everyone's favorite thing to do, set goals.  We set goals academically, athletically, and spiritually at Calvin College.  While I know we are not perfect, this is how I want my team to use their goals throughout the year.

First, I think the end product is a little over rated.  Don't get me wrong, standing on top of the award stand, seeing the time pop up on the scoreboard, receiving the A on the test, finishing the race, or standing on top of the mountain are all great, but they are short lived and temporary feelings.  The reason it is so emotional when the goal is achieved is the path you took to get there.  The commitments you made, the relationships you built, the obstacles that got in the way, and the lessons you learned along the way are what you are going to remember for a lifetime.  By writing down a goal, remember the end product is only a small percentage of what you are going to get by committing to it and following through.  I always say, the bigger the goal, the more you are going to learn.

Second, once the goal is set and shared with the team, you are committing to a set of standards by which you want to live during that season (hopefully the rest of your life).  For example, if you want to be a 4.0 student, there is a certain standard by which you need to follow.  You can't miss classes, there is a certain amount of participation you need to contribute in class, there are a certain number of hours that should be spent in the library, along with a certain level of health you need to maintain.  Swimming is the same way, it is not what you do in practice, but how you live out of practice that usually makes or breaks success.  Make sure you are living by the standards set by your goals.


Finally, you can't get through any level of commitment without a strong support group.  That is the team, your spouse, your piers at work, friends, and your church.  Not many people can set any type of goal without a strong support team.  At Calvin, our spiritual goals are always the hardest to set and the hardest to follow as we are all sinners.  Just as it is important to practice swimming everyday and study every day, it is equally important to get fed spiritually every day.  Taking time to read the bible, have devotions over coffee with friends, and attending church on a weekly basis are all ways you get fed spiritually.


Set Big Goals - you learn more along the way.
Live by the Standards those goals dictate.
Don't do it alone, you have to have a support group.