Let’s Get Committed

Staying on Track with SMART Goals

Most people fail not because of lack of desire, but because of a lack of commitment.’ –Vince Lombardi

On the 1st of February this year, my wife began the F45 8-week fitness challenge (She was not alone.) and as a result made a commitment to exercise like a maniac, follow a strict diet and abstain from alcohol. Over the holidays, the social butterfly that is my wife, told everyone that would listen what she was committing to and so began the fun at our house. Over the first few weeks, she cooked separately, woke early to exercise, avoided alcohol and suffered severe bouts of ‘hangryness,’ a scary combination of angry and hungry. Oh, what a joy she was!

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Despite the initial challenges that everyone in the house faced, looks great, but I always think that. The reason I share this story is because of the powerful step that my wife took before the fitness challenge. She told people (lots of them) who would hold her accountable and have her committed to the goal (like the pig) rather than just involved (like the chicken) and made a ‘Commitment to Action.’ This has been a powerful motivator to keep her on track because the very public declaration she made
attracted both accountability and support that perhaps she might not have expected.

In a number of schools that I work with and my own, it is around this time of the year that I check in with them to see how the teaching and learning goals that they have set are going. The ‘Commitment to Action’ that they made was based on evidence and made early in the year. It was documented and shared among their various team members, so everyone had a role to play in ensuring that this goal was SMART (specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and timely). These schools are successful because they have set up structures in the school that ensure that when goals are set, that there is a process to check the progress of these goals and make timely adjustments as required. In addition, if they achieve or surpass these goals through their focused, dedicated and committed work, they celebrate these achievements as a staff and with their students.

Now is a great opportunity to reflect on the term and the goals that you may have set. Some questions for you to consider:
• Did you achieve what you set out to?
• How do you know?
• What changes do you need to make to build on the success you have had?
• Who is going to support you to be successful?

If by chance, a few of your goals got lost in the general busyness of school this term, take a leaf out of my wife’s playbook and tell your colleagues what ambitious targets you have set for you and your students. You’ll be surprised how much support will come your way.

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Ryan Martin


Ryan Martin, recently awarded with the Northern Territory Principal of the Year, is an experienced school leader with a proven track record in behaviour management, leadership and coaching. He has a sharp focus on changing the trajectory of students from highly complex and disadvantaged
backgrounds. Ryan has a passion for education but you might also find him surfing, skating or tinkering around with old cars.