Goal Setting Introduction

Goal Setting

Have you ever dreamed of what you want to be when you grow up? Goals are the first step to making your dreams happen.

A goal is something that you want enough that you work to obtain it. One of the best ways to improve your fitness is to set goals.

Goals are like steps on a ladder. Your dream is at the top of the ladder. You have to climb up each step to reach the top.

Each goal you achieve will bring you one step closer to your dream.

There are two types of goals:

• short-term goals 
• long-term goals

Short-term goals are things you want to accomplish soon. These are usually simple and easy to achieve. They can take a few days or weeks to complete.

They can be things like:

• I want to ride my bike 10 miles this month.
• I want to be able to do 10 sit-ups by next Thursday.
• I want to play outside every day this week.

Can you think of another short-term goal?

A long-term goal is something you want to do in the future. They cannot be accomplished overnight. They are usually something you work on for a year or more.

Some examples are:

• I want to maintain a healthy weight throughout my life.
• I want to play on my high school basketball team.
• I want to run in a 5K race when I’m 17.

Can you think of another long-term goal?

You can use short-term goals to help you achieve your long-term goals. Let’s see how this works.

Long-term goal: I want to play on my high school basketball team.

You can set smaller, short-term goals to help you achieve this. For example:

• I want to make 5 free throws in a row.
• I want to dribble the ball for 4 minutes, without stopping.
• I want to make a lay-up.

Each time you reach a goal, set a new goal that is a little bit harder.

Each new goal will bring you one step closer to reaching your long-term goal.

Make sure the goals you set are realistic. Realistic means something that can actually happen.

Which one of these goals is realistic?

I want to jump over the sidewalk. I want to jump over my house.

That’s right! “I want to jump over the sidewalk” is a realistic goal.

It is just not possible to jump over a house. That goal is unrealistic.

It is also a good idea to write your goals down. Writing them down can help you remember them.

You can put them somewhere that you will see them every day, like on your mirror.

The key to reaching your goals is to work hard.

Setting and accomplishing goals can help you reach your dreams. It will also help you to be healthy.