I have always enjoyed goal setting, so the New Year, which brings with it the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions, presents a great opportunity for me. I invariably have a resolution or two on which I focus, setting my intentions for the new year. I, like most folks, may only stick with these resolutions for a month or two, but just a month or two, if not longer, of working toward a goal is, I believe, of value. After all, most adults would benefit from a month or two of consistent exercise, a more nutritional diet, and/or reduced alcohol intake. This year, as one of my resolutions, I have dedicated myself to playing the piano more consistently, hoping for steady improvement in my lifelong hobby.
Working with a sense of purpose toward a goal has tangible benefits. Making that goal public, at least to family and friends, holds us accountable. I’m hoping that by sharing my goal here, I will adhere to it a little longer than usual and possibly throughout the year.
With the start of a new semester for our high school students, they too would benefit from a sense of purpose. Indeed, a sense of purpose is, sadly, what I see missing in so many of our children. They are working, often aimlessly, toward straight A’s in coursework with which they have little connection. Seemingly forced to enroll in AP Language, when they neither read nor write on a regular basis, or in AP Physics, when they have never before shown curiosity about how a machine works, these students muddle through their coursework, sometimes miserably, striving only to improve their grade point average throughout the year. They sometimes spend more time calculating what grade they “need” on the unit test to preserve that A than they do on exploring with a fervor the unit’s topics. How tragic this predicament is! They are failing to appreciate and to realize the luxury they have in pursuing an education, something to which so many children across the world do not have access, and they are often failing to identify their own curiosities.
A sense of purpose is energizing. In a world where we all seem to be experiencing post-pandemic fatigue, energy is a much-needed and welcome attribute. It can help us get out of bed each morning with vigor, embrace personal relationships, and strive to make the most of precious time.
Moreover, chunking our work into more tangible smaller goals can help calm students when facing long-term projects, huge unit tests, or overwhelming to-do lists. With a sense of purpose and more specific goals in mind, students can better prioritize work.
Importantly, not all goals need to be academic goals. Much like my own shared goal here, personal interests can and should lead to goals that feed our spirits. Any steps we can take to be more intentional about how we are spending our time are, in my opinion, welcome steps.
It’s not too late to set those New Year’s resolutions, so I hope that you will set them tonight at the dinner table and pass them along to me. I’d love to hear from you. Let’s go score some goals!