Goal Setting for MOVERS!

One of our values at Positions Dance Studio is teaching our students how to be proactive about their training. This means that instead of always depending on their teachers for feedback and inspiration, they learn to look inside! This applies to BOTH our children’s dance classes and our adult dance and fitness classes. 

One of our favorite strategies for encouraging this skill is goal setting. Most dancers and fitness enthusiasts are naturally driven. It takes a lot of dedication to come to class week after week! Goal setting is one of the best ways to start taking more ownership of your training AND make sure you are being intentional week after week. 

The new year is an amazing time to set goals. Here at Positions Dance Studio, we can’t help to feel a little extra wave of motivation in January.  If you find yourself feeling the same way, we want to encourage you to take advantage of the inspiration! 

There are four simple steps to getting started with goal setting. This is an ideal framework to follow If you are new to goal setting OR if you are helping your child to get started. Lets’ dive in!

Step 1: Reflect

The first step is to take some time to reflect. You can’t figure out where you’re going without knowing where you’ve been! Think about a few moments when you felt really proud. What about a few moments that felt really hard? Did you check off any milestones this past year? 

Even a younger dancer will be able to answer these questions. Grab a notebook and take 30 min. to journal or draw! 

Most of us have a natural tendency to always focus on what’s next… don’t forget to celebrate how far you’ve come! 

Step 2: Make a SMART Goal 

Now that you’ve thought about the past year, we’re ready to start looking forward! We recommend using the acronym SMART to make sure your goals are clear and realistic.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.

For our dance students, an example of a SMART goal is getting both their right and left splits by the end of the summer. 

An example for our adult fitness students is working towards 10 push-ups on your toes by June 1. 

We recommend keeping things simple. Set 1-3 SMART goals and work with a shorter time frame. Kids (and adults too!) can lose momentum if goal setting feels overwhelming. We want our goals to feel like a stretch… but also feel achievable!

Step 3: Write it Down

A study done by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University in California found that people are 42% more likely to reach their goals just by writing them down every day. That’s pretty compelling! If you already have a daily journaling habit or keep a notebook for school or work, can you add 5 min. to your routine?

An alternative is to write down your goals and post them somewhere where you will see it and read it each and every day. Bathroom mirror, locker, a post-it note on your computer… it doesn’t have to be fancy! 

Step 4: Ask for help! 

You don’t have to reach your goals by yourself! The last step in goal setting is thinking about who can help you. Spoiler alert… at Positions you have a whole team of teachers ready to help! 

It can feel a little scary, but sharing your goals makes it even more likely you will reach your target. Our team is happy to share ideas, provide accountability, and support you every step of the way. 

Be brave and put your goals into the world!

Are you feeling inspired? Ready to reach for the stars in 2022? Goal setting should feel FUN. Taking a little time to think about what you want to accomplish is an amazing habit that you can apply to any area of your life. 

Whether you hope to nail your double turn, commit to a weekly class, or dream of getting your first pair of pointe shoes… you get to decide what’s important to you! 

Our team at Positions Dance Studio is here to help you every step of the way!  

Get Healthy in the New Year!

3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! Cue the confetti, because 2022 is going to be our BEST year yet. We’re SO ready to hit the ground running as we head back to our weekly dance classes, adult dance and fitness classes, and even planning ahead to our year-end recital. 

The new year is everyone’s favorite time of year to start new goals, especially around fitness and health. But why is NOW the best time? The clean slate that comes with flipping that new calendar open and leaving the past year behind us can be SUPER motivating. So together, let’s capitalize on this time, look forward rather than backwards, and tackle those Fitness goals!

Whether you’re changing your lifestyle and beginning your journey, getting back into your goals after a brief hiatus, or working on maintaining your current rhythm, we are HERE for it! We’ve compiled a list of some GREAT articles to help you start 2022 on the right foot with us. Check them out by clicking each of the titles below!

5 Articles to Help You Get Healthy and Stay Motivated in the New Year:

1. 13 Exercise Motivation Techniques for Helping You Stick to a Workout Routine

Written by Jenny at Self.com, this article has some important reminders for achieving a healthy mindset and sustainable perspective on your Fitness Goals. 

2. 2022 Fitness Trends to Keep You Healthy Throughout The New Year

Join Danielle Valente at My Imperfect Life for some predictions on what fitness trends will look like this year. Spoiler alert, check out Number 9… good thing Positions offers TONS of Adult Dance Classes! 

3. Best Food Resolutions You Can Make in 2022, According to Our Medical Experts

Samantha Boesch at Eat This, Not That is giving us self-affirming and sustainable food goals for the New Year. Let’s leave those toxic, harmful, and harsh self-talk habits behind this year!

4. 7 Health and Wellness Pros Share the New Year’s Resolutions They’ve Actually Stuck With

From more hugs to less sugar, these resolutions that Sarah DiGuilio compiled take a holistic approach to health. 

5. 10 Ways to Stay Motivated and Focused On Fitness Goals

Some simple but important reminders from Meghan at Medi-Dyne for kicking off the New Year and actually sticking with your goals!

Give these articles a read and we’re confident that you’ll find something amazing to focus on this January! It’s go time, and you’ve got this!

If health, fitness, and nutrition are at the forefront of your New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve got everything you need right here at Positions Dance Studio. We are proud to offer a wide range of workout classes each week, including but not limited to adult ballet, barre, yoga, HIIT, and so much more! Check out our class schedule here! 

If you’re ready to get healthy with us in 2022, sign up for class today! Our drop-in class rate is $15, and we also offer class cards with discounted pricing. Click here to get started! We can’t wait to sweat with YOU in the New Year! 

Get S.M.A.R.T About Your New Year's Dance Resolutions

January is the PERFECT time to work on setting goals. Coming out of 2020 madness makes our New Year’s Resolutions all the more important this year! We know our students have big dreams, and we LOVE encouraging them to reach for the stars each week in our dance classes. That’s why today’s blog is all about getting S.M.A.R.T about New Year’s Resolutions!

Have you heard of S.M.A.R.T goals? If not, check out this awesome article! George T. Doran coined this acronym in 1981 and it has since been widely accepted as the most effective way to set goals that actually get accomplished. 

Today, we’re taking you through the S.M.A.R.T acronym with a very common dance goal that we hear from our students ALL the time: improving flexibility. Flexibility is one of those skills that requires personal dedication and consistent work at home, rather than just in the studio. So we can’t wait to get clear on how to make it happen!

S is for Specific

The more detailed you can get, the better! Break your goal down into smaller pieces and choose one or two things to really hone in on this next year. This will help you stay focused on the vision!

Flexibility for Dancers

There are many different ways to improve flexibility, so it’s important to hand-pick one or two specific stretches that you’d like to make strides with. We always recommend working on splits because they are helpful for a wide array of dance moves. But if you have a specific dance move you’d like to improve on, ask your instructor for stretches that will lengthen the exact muscles you need for it!

M is for Measurable

Making sure your goal is measurable comes into play when you are tracking your progress. Goals take time to accomplish. Detailed tracking can help make small victories feel like big ones. 

Flexibility for Dancers

When stretching, the best way to quantify your progress is to use a measuring tape to measure your body’s distance within the stretch. For example, in a split, you can measure the distance between your pelvis and the floor. In a pike stretch, you can measure the distance between your head and your knees. Keep a log of your measurements to help track your progress!

A is for Achievable

This one is all about making sure that your goal is realistic by taking into account where you’re at now vs. where you want to be by the end of 2021. Make sure you can really make your goal happen!

Flexibility for Dancers

Everyone’s body is different, so it’s important to focus on the progress rather than the product when it comes to flexibility. Keep your goal centered around how many centimeters or inches you’d like to move, rather than a flat split. That way, you’ll make sure that it’s personalized and achievable for your own body. 

R is for Relevant

Making sure that your specific goal is directly related to a bigger picture goal is important. This will keep your motivation and focus on point when things get difficult. 

Flexibility for Dancers

It’s important to be aware of what achieving greater flexibility can do for you as a dancer. Maybe you’ll be able to hold your leg for 10 seconds on stage. Or maybe you will finally nail that toe touch you’ve been dreaming of. In addition, no matter what the stretch or dance move is that you’re working on, being more flexible will reduce the chance of injury. Win, win, WIN!

T is for Timely

Creating a timeline with checkpoints, reminders, and even deadlines will help you really take action. Make a plan and stick with it!

Flexibility for Dancers

For flexibility, stretching at home needs to become a consistent habit in order to see results. We encourage sticker charts or accountability checklists for our younger dancers who are working on forming the habit. Set a goal of stretching for 10 mins per day after dinner. Add a sticker to the chart when you make it happen! Measure your progress at the end of each week and watch yourself soar! 

While this list is centered around flexibility for dancers, these S.M.A.R.T concepts can be applied to ANY New Year’s Resolution, dance-related or not! We encourage our students and families to use the acronym for their own personal goals. We know you’ll thank us later!

Here at Positions Dance Studio, we are our students’ biggest cheerleaders. We love setting goals with them, helping them progress, and keeping them accountable from week to week. If your child could use that extra support, we’d love to welcome them in one of our weekly dance classes! Check out the schedule HERE and register today! 

Happy New Year, Positions Families! 2021 is going to be another fabulous year of reaching our dance goals with our favorite students.