For most people, the New Year represents a time of resolution and goal setting. For Heart girls, it means camp is just around the corner!!!! In celebration of both of these, let’s talk about the importance of goal setting at camp.
- Goals give you a destination.
When I was 10 years old, my first set of Pawnee sponsors handed out a 4×4 piece of blue, cloud paper asking each of us to write a goal for the term. It wasn’t till I returned home from 1st term that I wrote my goal “TO MAKE WAR CANOE” and taped it on the wall next to my bed at home. 
Cheesy? Yes. Don’t make fun of me; I’ve never told anyone that story before!
But the first step towards achieving your goal is identifying it!
- Goals give you motivation. Motivation gets you going and habits get you there.
It took me a few try-outs to make it: one try-out I’m not sure I got in the boat, one try-out I fell out of the boat and on my third try-out…I made it! Looking back, my willingness to be apart of Pawnee War Canoe was enough motivation to overcome how intimidated I was to try out at 11 and 12 years old. Remember, everyone starts somewhere!
- To achieve what we want, we often have to be willing to do what we haven’t done before. Sometimes, that’s just simply starting.
The process of trying out and being cut several times taught me two very important things: 1) The Heart provides little opportunities each day to begin our goals with minimal consequences or risks and; 2) If we really want something, determination often outweighs the fear of starting or failure.
As a former counselor and sponsor, let me be the first to tell you how much we want anyone and everyone to try out! Whether that’s for war canoe, tribe office… you name it! You never know until you try.
Quadrille!! <3
- Success is often the accumulation of many smaller goals along the way. A little progress each day adds up to big results.
Maybe you’re reading this and are like… “Lady…. all I wanted to do was sign up for
climbing wall.”
Then yes, you should absolutely sign up for climbing wall!
One thing that makes summer camp so special is that it is the ideal environment for trying new activities, identifying new goals and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in the pursuit of them. Not all goals are huge and many times, achievement is the sum of smaller goals. For example, the High Point camper award is awarded to the camper that earns the most points in her division during the term. Points for this award are earned from H&H’s, gymkhanas, swim meets, activity credit cards and more. So sometimes, the first step towards achieving your goal is as small as simply wearing your name tag all day! Don’t get overwhelmed with the big picture; start checking off the small stuff and it will get you closer to that goal.
I hope camp gives you every opportunity it gave me. I hope you find your own blue, cloud paper and jot down a goal or two for the upcoming summer. But most of all, remember to have fun and enjoy all that The Heart has to offer!
And don’t forget, “Shoot for the moon, for if you miss, at least you’ll land amongst the stars.”
<3,
Lyndsey DuBose
Meet Lyndsey!
Editor’s Note: Lyndsey came to The Heart as a camper and counselor all the way from Bandera! She often attended eight weeks a summer, and excelled in activities ranging from swimming to riflery. She was in war canoe, quadrille, and was Pawnee Chieftain and a Jo Jones Memorial Sportsmanship Award recipient. For four summers she worked as a Heart LITe, counselor and tribe sponsor. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Texas at Austin where she was a four-year letterman for the UT Rowing team. Lyndsey received her Master’s in Health and Human Physiology in 2015 and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Health and Human Physiology at University of Iowa.
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