IF YOU HAVE EVER SET A GOAL FOR YOURSELF, THIS ARTICLE WILL BENEFIT YOU. IF YOUR DEVOTION TO A GOAL HAS EVER WANED WITH TIME, THIS ARTICLE WILL BENEFIT YOU.
If you want constructive, honest advice on how to be resilient in the path to whatever goals you set for yourself, continue reading.
Many of us start out excited and eager to tackle a new project. Sometimes, our ambitions sprint ahead faster than our dedication can keep up. It is important to have goals, but it is even more important to adhere to a feasible timeline in achieving them.
Fortunately, there are experts who can offer us guidance. Studious consulted Adina Glickman (Director of Learning Strategy Programs of the Learning Experience Design Group within the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at Stanford University) on tips for daily motivation and maximizing potential. When asked about allocating one’s time to motivate goal achievement, Adina says to reflect on past experiences where time management was neglected. Focusing on the emotions onset by especially stressful situations is important for moving forward. “Our brains don’t have the capacity to remember for the sake of nostalgia. We remember so we can learn and look ahead!” says Adina. (1)
This message echoes across many disciplines. For example, Dan Klein and Michelle Darby are Stanford Resident Fellows and co-creators of StoryCraft: an innovative, interactive class in the Theater and Performing Arts Department that teaches students how to tell a story. Simple as it may seem, one lesson they teach is particularly useful not only in telling stories, but in sticking with your pursuits. When presenting a story, Dan and Michelle instruct their students to think about what they just said, not what they plan on saying. (2) In doing so, stories are presented with less stumbles—and interestingly—more emotion. Reflecting on the past to spur change in your future is a helpful tool at your mind’s disposal.
However, looking backward does not always help. People (and often History) are prone to repeating themselves. The line between wisdom to change and reversion to old habits is thin. So, to maximize your potential for goal advancement, connect it with a “why.” Adina notes “to be productive in school, that is, to persist in working hard at things, you have to care about what you’re doing. It can be as remote as ‘I’m slogging my way through organic chemistry because I want to be a doctor because my aunt died of cancer” or as mystifying as “I am totally fascinated by archaeology even though I don’t know what I want to do with it later.’” (1)
If you cannot think of a “why” to connect with your goals, you might consider reevaluating what you’re chasing after. Your time is precious: spend it wisely, spend it studiously, and spend it on things you care about most.
Thank you to Adina Glickman for her Studious contribution this week!
1. Glickman, Adina. Studious E-Mail Interview. 25 August 2015.
2. Darby, Klein. “Presentation Methodologies.” StoryCraft. Stanford University. Stanford. 21 May 2015. Practicum.