Goals, Goals, Goals
What is a goal? A goal is something you set your sights on, something you want to achieve by working hard with lots of effort. Do we need to work towards a goal? No, absolutely not! But, it’s the freedom to choose to put forth effort and continually set goals that may change everything!
At the start of Session 7 Acton heroes reflected on their journey thus far and set session goals for themselves. Each hero decided on academic goals to achieve during Core Skills and social/emotional goals to work towards for the rest of the session. This week, a nautical theme emerged as goals were written on learner ships on our new Badge of Honor board. Common questions this week were “Are you the captain of your own ship?” “Is your ship getting blown off course, getting attacked by pirates, or are you headed towards goal island?” “What do you need to do to get back on course towards your goal?”
At Acton the process of setting goals begins each hero’s journey to develop personal accountability and time management but most of all it develops strong motivation that something, the goal, is worth fighting for. Now, what if you don’t reach your goal in the time you had hoped? Does this mean you are a failure or does it mean you have a farther journey than you thought?
As hero parents we invite you to remember our Acton growth mindset regarding failure. At Acton we believe that failure is our greatest guide and when failing it is important to “fail hard, fail often, and fail cheaply.” Failing over and over offers learners of any age the opportunity to reflect on process and recommit to a meaningful journey and ultimately a meaningful life, a life worth goaling.
Often we are asked, what if my hero refuses the call, is that ok? Yes, sometimes we aren’t quite ready for the journey when other ships may have already set sail. Sometimes we just need to know the ship is waiting for us for when we are ready to get back in the game or back on the challenging sea! For you and your learner you have already chosen to answer the call by choosing Acton. Now, what is your next goal? How will you challenge yourself? Will you refuse the call of your next adventure or is your ship ready to chart your course? The choice is yours!