Get what you want!

Girls' Life, Dec, 2002 by Beverly Bachel

Wish you could make the team? Get better grades? Start your own business? Be the next Britney? We show you how to get there--one step at a time...

Do you have dreams and wishes? Of course, you do! Everyone does. It's fun to imagine the amazing things you might achieve someday--developing your very own dance company, traveling to far-off lands, being at the hub of a big business. But what about today? Are you doing anything right now to make your dreams come true?

"I'm too young to do anything cool," you say? Wrong! You're never too young to go for your dreams. Matter of fact, now's a stellar time to start!

How? By setting goals. It's not as tough as you might think. How would you complete the next sentence? If I could do anything, I would_____.

Congratulations! You've just taken the first step in getting what you want--you've set a goal. Now the choice is yours. Will you push your aspirations aside as unreachable fantasies, or will you go for 'em?

Read on because we're about to let you in on the secrets to turning all your dreams into reality. And, we introduce you to girls who took the appropriate steps to make things happen for themselves right now!

GOALS--WHY YOU NEED 'EM

How do you make your way from where you are today to an exciting tomorrow? By taking action. You can't just want something and expect it to happen. Instead, you need to be a girl with a plan. This is where goal-setting comes in. Your goals make up the how-to map for navigating your way toward your dreams. Goals also help stretch your comfort zone, boost your confidence and improve your outlook on life. Best of all? Goals help you feel more in control.

Some goals--like learning the lyrics to a new song, training for a 10K or writing a new computer program--can be accomplished in a day, a week or a month. These are called short-term goals. Others take longer. Long-term goals are things like graduating from college, buying a car or working in a law office.

BE SMART ABOUT YOUR GOALS

While it's important to know the difference between short-and long-term goals, every goal you make for yourself needs to be SMART. What does that mean? Well...

Savvy--The goal is easy-to-understand and actually means something to you.

Instead of: "Be a better person."

Your SMART Goal: "Respect my friend Amanda by not talking behind her back anymore."

Measurable--Rather than being vague, the goal says exactly what you want to accomplish.

Instead of: "Feel better about myself."

Your SMART Goal: "Eat more healthfully by packing my lunch for school four days a week and stop going for the extra-value meals at fast-food restaurants."

Active--The goal has a clear action that you need to take.

YOUR SMAR Goal: "Improve my shot percentage by at least 20 percent by practicing one hour every Saturday and Sunday during the season.'

Reachable--Based on your skills and experience, the goal is realistic.

Instead of: "Be the best basketball player on the team."

Instead of: "Get an A in math."

Your SMART Goal: "Boost my math grade up by at least one letter by the end of this semester."

Timed--You have a clear timeline for when you'll be able to say, "I did it."

Instead of: "Get a new bike."

Your SMART Goal: "Save enough of my money to buy a new bike by the time spring hits."

POWER OF THE P'S

In addition to being SMART, your goals should have the power of the three P's. They should be:

* Positive! Who could get fired up about the following goal? "Start working out, so I won't get fat." Phrase your goals using positive language so you'll feel good about what you're trying to accomplish. Try, "Exercise for 30 minutes every day to stay fit, and put on some hip-hop to make it more fun."

* Personal! Your goals should really be meaningful to you, and reflect your dreams and values. Sure, it's great that your dad wants you to be the captain of the tennis team but, unless you are passionate and committed, success will be hard to come by.

* Possible! You can't become a star student or top athlete overnight. It's important to consider what's actually do-able so you don't feel disappointed about the outcome. Say you have a major crush on a guy and want him to feel the same way about you. No matter how hard you try to win him over, he might only like you as a bud. Remember--you can't control other people's feelings and actions, so keep that in mind when setting your goals.

CREATE A GOAL JOURNAL

Now that you understand how to set reasonably great goals, write them down in a Goal Journal. Grab an empty notebook, and start making a list! Having your goals neatly outlined on paper helps you think clearly about what it is you want to achieve and gets you totally stoked for success.

THE ACTION PLAN!

Now that you're down with your goals, it's time to plot a step-by-step action plan for getting what you want. Think of it as a ladder. Every step you need to take to reach each goal represents a rung of the ladder. The more steps you complete, the closer you are to the top.

One step at a time. Make a list of all the things you need to do to reach your goal. Put them in order, beginning with the first step and so on, and give yourself a deadline for each step. Sign and date your goal so you'll stay committed to achieving it.