Written by Aidan Tyler-Scott
As we welcome the new year and the endless possibilities that 12 months ahead brings us, we are reminded of New Year’s resolutions. But do these resolutions actually reach fruition? For many of us, the answer is no. When a new year begins, we reflect on the year behind us, and we feel energised and excited for the potential successes we could achieve.
However, many of us dream these big dreams for the year ahead without planning and managing these resolutions as the year progresses. After the first day of the year, we slowly forget our resolutions as the year creeps forward. To help you dream big and manage these goals to achieve ultimate success, we help you plan your goals to ensure abundance as a TEFL teacher.
Focussing on Your Goals
The perfect way to begin the year is to buy a diary or notebook that you can dedicate to planning and managing your year ahead. Whether you enjoy a calendar diary or a blank notebook, get something that would suit your creativity and thinking. This is where you can jot down all your goals for the year and write daily mini-goals to achieve them throughout the year.
After you have purchased the ideal notebook, sit down with your favourite drink in a quiet place and reflect on the year that has passed. Think about all your achievements and successes, consider your failures, and ponder what you would want to improve as an online English teacher.
Maybe, you reached your previous year’s goals of securing enough students or received positive feedback from your employer. Perhaps, you over-filled your schedule or weren’t able to secure enough students after trial lessons. After reflecting on your achievements and failures, think about how you could reach higher achievements and turn your failures into successes.
This activity will help you focus on your goals for the year ahead. Once you have reflected on your past experiences and future goals, it’s time to jot those goals down.
Managing Your Goals for Ultimate Success
Now that you have thought about your goals ahead and jotted them down, it’s time to manage your goals going forward. Next to each goal, write down a timeline or a “due date” for when you would want to achieve the goal. By setting a specific date, you proactively decide when you should reach the goal.
Then, think about the activities and mini-goals that you would have to accomplish to reach the final goal’s deadline. If you want to increase your income, how would you do it? Maybe, it would be focussing on doing more trial lessons, working for an additional online teaching platform, or investing time into another part-time or freelancing job. Once you have the steps figured out to accomplish your final goal, start planning and setting deadlines for each mini-goal. Mini-goals will help you realise your bigger goals by breaking them down into practical activities that you can work on.
Dream Big by Setting Realistic Goals
Sometimes; we get swept up by our ambitious need to accomplish all our goals as soon as possible. This sense of urgency is something you need to consider when planning your new year’s goals. Setting realistic goals with practical timelines is essential for achieving your goals. If you don’t plan it according to practical outcomes, you may disappoint yourself and feel like a failure when you don’t reach the goal.
So, when planning your teaching goals for the year ahead, allow yourself to dream big but manage them by setting deadlines that will give you enough time to achieve them. Life is all about winning some and losing some, but you encourage yourself to accomplish more victories by setting goals.
Welcome in the New Year with a Clear Path Ahead
Say hello to 2022 with big dreams and realistic goals with reasonable deadlines. Planning and managing your goals gives you the focus to work towards something this year with a clear direction. And remember not to sweat the small stuff; failure is a part of life, and it makes us stronger. And always celebrate your victories when they manifest!
