Setting Goals and youHQ
By Laura Muir, MSSS Social Counselor
This is the time of year when the Social Counselors get busier because students are facing increased stress and worry about their grades and performance. Fundamentally, we are all on the same side – deeply committed to the success of the young people at BHA. We know sustainable success extends from passion and interest more than toil and strife. Setting goals can help young people stay focused on their success in healthy and consistent ways.
This year at BHA, we have introduced a goal setting system – youHQ (https://www.youhq.co.uk/) for students to help teach them self-management and self-care skills. You may want to ask your child what goals they have set on youHQ and we will monitor their goals progress throughout the year.
Psychologists and business experts have carried out numerous studies on success and achievement. Setting goals is key and specific themes are thread throughout the research.
Emphasize mastery over performance. Research shows that mastery goals are more effective than performance goals because they are more personally satisfying.
Encourage intrinsic motivation versus external rewards and punishments. This builds a more sustainable road to achievement.
Build them up rather than tearing them down. People respond far better to positive encouragement and constructive feedback than criticism.
Prioritize and keep the end goals in mind. I always tell students to think backwards when making goals and ask themselves what bigger, life goals their current goals will help them achieve. Life goals are about personal satisfaction more than specific university acceptances.
Play to one’s strengths. It is valuable to work on our weaknesses but also important to experience success and offer up our skills where they are most useful.
Follow through on commitments. This is linked to having goals with a larger end goal in mind.
‘Sharpen the saw’ or Kaizen. The Western business world has borrowed this Asian concept. Always endeavour to do better for oneself and self-improvement and not for the rewards alone. Self-renewal is vital and investing in ourselves keeps us motivated.
Balance! – this is age old wisdom across cultures for good reason and closely linked to kaizen. Our bodies and minds need balance to maintain health and to keep working. This isn’t just about being well-rounded but about making time for joy, love, fun, and rest. It can also be about making space to process sadness, loss, and disappointment. Accepting the full spectrum of life’s ups and downs builds resilience.