There’s no better time to set a goal than the new year. Especially this year because it’s the start of a whole new DECADE! Can you imagine where you’ll be TEN years from now??
It’s crazy to think about. And what’s the best way to be sure you make the most of this year? Set some goals and make a plan to be sure you get them done!
If you want to set some goals for your skating, we are big fans of the SMART technique to specify which goals you want to tackle next. This technique is popular among business coaches and consultants. It uses the word SMART to help you set your goals. We use these steps to think about our goals here at The Skater’s Edge! To have a SMART goal, you make them: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Here’s how to look at the SMART technique to help you create goals that not only improve your skating this year, but are actually within your reach.
Your goal should be Specific
You need to be clear about what you’re working on and what it will look like when you achieve your goal. Abstract goals are called dreams, or wishes, and those are far less likely to happen than a specific event or milestone. A wish is going to look like, “I want to spin better.” A Specific goal is going to be more like, “I want to improve my camel spin position.” By setting this goal you know exactly which spin you want to work on and what the improvement will look like.
Your goal should be Measurable
Measurements allow you to clearly see and track your progress. Use whichever metrics make sense to help you in this area! If your goal is something like, “I want to increase revolutions on my camel spin,” you need to narrow down okay, but by how many? “I want to increase revolutions on my camel spin by 5 revolutions” is not only more Specific, but you can Measure 5 revolutions. You’ll know when you’re getting close when 3 becomes 4 and then 4 and a half, and finally becomes 5!
Your goal should be Attainable
Set yourself up for success by taking time to think about which goals are realistic, and which goals will be too much of a reach for the year. If your goal is “I want to do a Biellmann spin this year,” but you’re still working on your one-foot spin, a Biellmann might take longer to get to than just a year of training (though it could happen!!). You want a challenging, but Attainable goal. So if you’re working on your one-foot spin, your goal could be, “I want to do 5 revolutions of a scratch spin this year.” Definitely achievable with a bit of practice! Set yourself up for some healthy struggle with your goals. And when you achieve your goal you can set another one with your new benchmark of what you can do!
Your goal should be Relevant to you
Your goal might be different from your best friend’s goal, and that’s okay! You will work towards your goal harder and you won’t give up when it gets hard when it means something to you and is a challenge to yourself. Focus on what you want. Focus on what will make you the most proud of your achievements this year. Then go for it!
Your goal should be Timely
No “someday,” no “eventually.” Your goal should have a deadline so you know how long you have to make progress! If your goal is “I want to land my axel,” well, it could happen this year, this decade, or this millennium. Setting goals for the year is super common, and “I want to land my axel this year” gives you a time frame of a specific number of weeks to practice, a specific number of chances to land it, and will push you to give those chances your all because they’re finite.
Make a SMART plan for 2020!
Take some time to set your own goals and think about the year ahead in skating. Write them down where you can see them and note your progress!
What will your skating look like a year from now?
Which competitions will you attend?
Which tests do you want to pass?
Which skills do you want to improve?
These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself and your coaches to create a plan and not only dream about your goals, not just maybe meet your goals but actively work towards achieving them.
Once you have your goals set, chat with your coach about what they think of your goals. They may have suggestions for moving your deadline or pushing you a little harder - as a good coach will! They can also offer input to other areas of your skating that could require goals of their own such as flexibility, strength training, endurance, or off-ice conditioning.
With a little time and planning, 2020 isn’t going to know what hit it!
Happy Skating!
The Skater’s Edge is Buffalo and Western New York’s one-stop figure skating store for new and used ice skates, competitive figure skates, and skate sharpening. The skate shop carries Riedell, Jackson, and Edea skates, as well as skating apparel and accessories. With technicians trained by a master sharpener of over 30 years, trust The Skater’s Edge with your next figure skate fitting, figure skate sharpening, hockey skate sharpening or hockey skate repair, as well as shaping your hockey blade radius or profiling.