Adrianne Toles, In Motion Managing Editor
The goals we recognize as New Year’s resolutions have been an age-old tradition for thousands of years. A custom upheld by the Ancient Babylonians and Romans has developed into a custom meant to reflect on our lives thus far and establish goals that align with our own aspirations.
The responsibility to realize these goals rests solely on our own dedication, organizational skills, time- and financial management, and honest self-accountability. The apparent question then, is how? How do we establish specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals, and more importantly, how do we achieve them?
Whether your aspirations are oriented towards academics, personal health, habits, or your career, the process remains fundamentally the same. Students at Daytona State have already made the first steps by meeting with academic advising to say what they want from their time here.
It is easy to shy away from the concept of outlining short-term and long-term goals as the idea can seem restricting. “I have always associated goal-setting with stress and deadlines,” said local store manager, Therese Watson-Murray. But as it became more pertinent to her career and success of the business, she discovered it “did not take the spontaneity or fun away from achieving the goals” she set for herself and associates.
Goal setting is a skill that is not facilitated overnight nor expected to be applied in much depth early on in your life. Therese Watson-Murray and fellow Daytona State College attendee, Nicholas Zaytsev Ruilova, both openly attest to the freshness of their experiences in establishing and employing the skills needed for goal setting. They began to learn and apply the most within the past two months or even the past three years.
With his back against a wall after previously losing a job, Zaytsev Ruilova worked tirelessly to “critically manage my time and establish a productive schedule,” build a digital presence that appeals to his ideal clientele base, and creates effective short-term goals that relate and encourage his long-term goals as a financial consultant.
Although it may not come naturally or be a strength for many, identifying an end goal, analyzing what all that would require, and then putting the plan into action is crucial to achieving goals.
The objective is not and never will be to achieve everything perfectly every time. Realistic long-term goals will involve failures along the way. But the Coca-Cola you drink after resolving to swear off sodas does not mark you a failure. Quite the opposite really.
“I have zero issues looking back at my failures,” Watson-Murray said. “I actually appreciate them more than the wins.”
Failure is an inevitable aspect of life, and what matters most is what lessons we draw from it and how we apply them in the future. In failure comes critical lessons that can be used to establish a different plan of action with a higher likelihood of success.
The perspectives and encouragement of peers and family can serve as a catalyst for motivation, and a hot spot of different forms of input that Nicholas believes, “can identify negatives that can be improved.”
Our ability to think, share, and collaborate is “the most valuable thing we can offer each other,” as we strive for both common and unique goals, Watson-Murray said. “It is contagious, but in a very good way. When people succeed, they want to do it again,” Watson-Murray added. “When you see someone succeed, you want to celebrate with them.”
The same can be said for those who simply observe our behaviors and actions and aspire to follow in our footsteps, no matter where those paths may lead. Walking through the doors of Daytona State is just the first step of many, in achieving the goals we set for ourselves. So, what’s next?