The Importance of Setting Goals

Preparing for Collegiate Nationals

By Thomas Stastny

As I filled out my application for graduate school, one of the sections was a statement with the following prompt: "State your immediate and long-term career goals." Goals are important. They are something you want to be or someplace you want to end up. They are things to work toward and get excited about.

When I first joined the dance team, I didn't think much about goals, aside from having fun and learning more. While having fun is still one of my goals, it is a given that regardless of setting, I'm going to have fun dancing. What is different now is that I have goals for competitions. It helps me prepare for them and get excited as opposed to getting nervous.

Looking back on my first semester, I wish I would have done it differently. I studied in London the following semester, so I didn't put much effort in at first. I showed up to the team practices, and that was it. I didn't practice on my own with my partners or give much thought to Collegiate Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, other than recognizing it as a really large competition that required an incredibly long bus ride to attend. In other words, I was unprepared, and it was obvious the moment we arrived.

While we were standing in line for smooth, I was shaking. I couldn't calm my nerves, and suddenly I didn't think it was fun anymore. I just wanted it to be over, which is a feeling I never wanted to associate with dancing.

Two years later, it is completely different, and it is because I, along with my partners, set Collegiate Nationals as a goal to work toward. We have put in so much time over summer and on the weekends for practice. Now, instead of having to control my fears, I have to try to control my excitement. It's a weekend I never want to end.