Let's Do This: 2013 Goals & Getonits!

As January comes to a close (is it really February on Friday?!) it is a good time to check in on the progress of our New Years resolutions.

In the past I have completely avoided the practice of drafting resolutions, mostly for semantics. The term resolution feels so absolute and over arcing, like a thesis statement for an entire year.  Yes, by definition resolutions are acts of volition and free will, but I feel this is a word best tied to a UN treaty or a legislative document proposed by Congress. I much prefer looking at the year in terms of Goals & Getonits.

 

Goal & Getonits: [gohl & ghetawnits] noun

1. A statement of intention in which effort is directed. 

2. Setting an incremental course of action in order to realize ones intentions.

In my mind the term resolution is not only formal, but it is fragile. A resolution is easily broken and allows little room for negotiation or failure. Goals & getonits are terms to describe a process of growth and determination. They allow for incremental progress and set backs. As an educator I am always thinking in terms of curriculum goals and learning targets. Children do not learn and succeed in a straight trajectory, but instead take a curving path with troughs of failure and peaks of achievement. Why would we expect anything different from our adult selves?

This year I drafted my goals & getonits for 2013 in a web organizer doodle (how cross-curricular of me). I began with broad topics to focus my intentions. Where in my life should I concentrate my energy? What am I in control of (Myself- yes. Others- no.)? What changes can I make to refeather my life into a simpler one filled with intention and purpose?

The next phase was to generate bite-sized goals for each intention. I made sure the goals were realistic, honest and flexible. Some goals needed to be very specific, while others were best left as broad ideas with room for discovery and divergence.

I will devote some future posts to the specifics of some of my goals and getonits. 

How did you approach your 2013 goals and getonits?