So to start off the week well, I thought I might talk about setting goals...for TaeKwonDo. I think these rules can apply for anything, really. I watched GingerNinjaTrickster's video about it, so that is why I am making it specifically about TaeKwonDo.
One of the tips he mentions when you set a goal is to make it realistic and achievable. If your goal is too high, then you won't be able to achieve it. You will lose your motivation and stop working completely. This has happen to me for certain goals that I've had. For example, one summer I set the goal that I was going to become an excellent chef. That was a little too much :p. Right now, I realize it is better - for me - to set a goal of learning how to cook certain dishes. In this way I am able to practice over and over again the same procedure, and that way I gain and keep more knowledge. Little by little I've learned to make different dishes. In a similar way, each TaeKwonDo belt that you pass teaches you little by little certain "dishes" or techniques that help you achieve your ultimate goal of becoming a blackbelt. From short to long term goals!
Another important aspect of setting goals is to make then challenge yourself. You don't want to be too hard on yourself, but you also don't want to not challenge yourself or else you won't grow. This is important for me in terms of flexibility. I am very bad at my flexibility, and I've been trying to challenge myself, since the summer. It is hard and tedious, but I know that I must and can do my work out a little over my comfort zone to improve my flexibility. In this way, I hope to become better by next year (my long term goal).
As a conclusion, I think that one of the most important ways of reaching your goals is to make your practice a habit. If you don't have a habit or schedule that you follow rigorously, then nothing else matters. You need to be able to follow through with your plan. As you follow through with your practice you will make mistakes, learn, and become better through repetition and work.
In my opinion, those are the important aspects to remember when creating a goal for yourself. It really can be applied to anything in life (I guess I didn't really talk much about TaeKwonDo :p). Tell me what you think! Do you have any other tips for setting goals in your life? Feel free to share :) I hope you guys have a great start of the week and a great start of September!!!
Be strong, be unique, and step out of your comfort zone!