Yes We Can

On Monday, at very short notice, I was asked to deliver the Monday-morning assembly to 180 Year Five and Year Six children (aged between nine and eleven).

As our current theme is 'Going for Goals', I recalled an assembly I had delivered at a previous school some time ago - involving video extracts from Barack Obama's 2008 'Yes We Can' speech and Bob the Builder singing, 'Can We Fix It?' The internet, being the tool it is, allowed me to find the videos again but, on this occasion, I also found a mash-up 'Yes We Can' video someone had made featuring both Bob and Barack. So that was the start of my assembly: Bob singing 'Can we fix it?' and Barack responding: 'Yes we can'.

The children obviously loved this but there had to be a point and this is where I introduced 'three words, three goals, three steps'.

The THREE WORDS were, you guessed it: 'Yes we can'. There really is no point in setting goals if you do not believe you can achieve them. You have to really want something AND really believe you can have it. Otherwise, disappointment and dejection set in and goal-setting becomes superficial at best - or a non-starter at worst.

The THREE GOALS - I shared mine:
Goal 1: I'm going to become fitter and healthier (that's measurable because I can see myself in the mirror) by swimming every Wednesday evening and alternating my drinks: coffee and water.
Goal 2: I'm going to plan weekly weekend activities with my kids (that's measurable because we have a family calendar - and two kids who hold me to my word).
Goal 3: I'm going to try and meet up with one of my friends every week (that's measurable because I have a diary - and friends).

Goals are more likely to be achievable if there is a rationale behind them. I hope the rationale behind mine is obvious. I asked the children in the assembly why they thought I set these goals. A child offered: 'So you can be happy when you die.' Fair enough - I couldn't better that...

I only set three goals because I really don't believe I can manage more than three at the moment. Many more and some would have dropped off by now and it's only the middle of January.

And finally, THREE STEPS: these are probably the most important of the sets of three.
Step 1: Tell someone your goals. And keep telling them. They will then hold you accountable.
Step 2: Write them down. Mine are written everywhere, including here, and, because they're written down, they're now written in my mind.
Step 3: Do something about it. A great idea is nothing without a great start. I now start each day with a mug of hot water instead of coffee and I alternate throughout the day. It's easy. And I swim on Wednesdays. Because I want to. I also talk to my kids about what we're going to do at the weekend: they have a say in it. Last weekend, however, we didn't do what we had planned because other events took over: stuff like that happens but it doesn't have to change your determination to achieve your goals. And I get in touch with friends and arrange meeting dates. Last week, I met up with a colleague and friend from a previous school - it was a life-affirming event.

At the close of the assembly, I encouraged the children to think about something they really wanted to achieve this year: goals have to start with motivation or you'll never get off the starting blocks.

And we finished by watching Bob and Barack again...


What success have you had with your goals?


How do you make your goals achievable?


Feel free to leave a comment - thanks for dropping by.


Phil