Short-term goals. We all need them. But why are they so important, and how can we be sure that our short-term goals are the right ones for us?

Imagine this: your whole life you’ve dreamed of playing the violin. As the years went by, you swore that one day you would turn that dream into reality and, finally, you decide it’s time to take the plunge! You acquire a violin, take it home, open up the case, and take out the instrument inside. As you attempt to put bow to string, you quickly realize that playing the violin might not be as instinctual as you hoped. Perhaps it is time to engage the services of a private teacher. 

To your delight, your new teacher is quickly able to help you get started on your violin journey. Each lesson you are given a series of small, manageable tasks to complete that are uniquely tailored to your needs. The tasks are the perfect balance of challenging and attainable and your confidence builds with each completed task. Before you know it, you are playing whole pieces. You’re reading music and learning some music theory and music history along the way. You’ve even given your first performance on the concert stage! But most of all, you have gained the momentum and self-assurance needed to pursue your long-held dream of playing the violin. 

Short-term goals are essential because they provide us with a roadmap to our long-term goals. Who could climb a mountain in one stride?! We all need immediate stepping stones when learning something new, and all the more so when that something is a complex skill like violin playing. Appropriate short-term goals not only help us to find momentum in our learning, but also help combat that old, familiar obstacle: procrastination. We all deal with it! But there are ways to make these struggles easier, and breaking down our goals into small, manageable tasks is a great place to start. 

So, how do you know if your short-term goals are working for you? Simple self inquiry can help you to answer that question. Ask yourself, do I feel motivated and driven, or stuck and overwhelmed? Does my progress have momentum, or is procrastination winning? It all comes down to that balance I mentioned earlier between “challenging and attainable”. If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, then your short-term goals may have too much challenge and not enough attainability. On the other hand, if your learning feels boring or too easy, then the imbalance may be skewed in the opposite direction. But whatever the case may be, your private teacher can help you make strategic adjustments along the way without losing sight of the big picture. 

Remember, we are all different and every accomplishment is worthwhile, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Feelings of being stuck or overwhelmed are common when learning a new skill, but we can consider these less roadblocks than road signs to better short-term goals and a more fulfilling learning experience! 🎶