Getting Started: Goal Setting and Planning

"But thanks to mentors who believed in me, hard work, and perseverance, I have been able to rise to the top tier of one of the world's premier ballet companies and to achieve a life balance that makes me feel centered and whole" (Copeland xi). These are the words of Misty Copeland, the first African american principal dance at the American Ballet Theater, a world famous company.

In her third book Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You, Copeland shares the advice she has acquired in her rather short career. Her impressive confidence and strength after a difficult past shines through her advice. Misty went from being told she wasn't skinny enough to be a professional dancer as a teenager, to becoming one of the worlds best. Her story continues to inspire many young girls.

Ballerina Body is a self-help book, to guide someone through their journey of becoming content, fit and healthy. Copeland has split her book into four parts: mind, motion, meals, and mentors. My first post will focus on her tips from the first section, mind.

Copeland describes the book as a guide through a journey of self improvement. In the first section, she explains how to prepare for this improvement on a mental level. "If you don't have clarity about what you want to accomplish, you can't plot how you will get there" (Copeland 12).
She gives the following tips:

• Keep a Finish Line in Sight: Always try to accomplish your goals and set new, more challenging goals once you have . 
• Gain Motivation: Take in motivation from the little things around you to help you grow and develop more confidence about your accomplishments. 
• Visualization: Visualize what the end result may be, think about how content and satisfied you will feel when you meet your goals. 
• Keep a Journal: Make a scheduled time in your daily routine to reflect on the days progress, record how you feel and why. 

(Copeland 11-16). 

I will be using all of of these techniques myself and for a tangible record, I will be keeping a journal to reflect on how I feel.

After some thinking about me as a dancer and person right now, I've though about things I could improve on. I have decided to set the following goals:

1. I will try a variety of exercises to help strengthen the muscles in my body, and to become stronger overall. Specifically, I want to focus on core and leg muscles. 
2. I will work harder to improve my balance, which is something I struggle with. Strengthening my core will also help me find my center. 
3. I will maintain focus and motivation through techniques like visualization, and thinking about how I will feel in the future after my goals are accomplished. 
4. I will eat a more balanced diet containing fruits and vegetables, to help support the new lean muscle I will be working toward.

Though these are complex, I feel they are a right fit for me right now.

What goals have you set in your life? Do you have any advice or tips for staying motivated through the journey? What helped to keep you on track?

Copeland, Misty, et al. Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Lighter, Stronger, and More Graceful You. Sphere, 2017.