It’s Goal Setting Tuesday!
Today at morning assembly, we talked about the importance of getting outside our comfort zone and getting into our “growth zone” as we try new things at camp. Camper Jojo shared about how she’s gotten out of her comfort zone and learned many new skills over her eight summers at GAC. We also talked about setting SMART goals for this camp session.
Comfort Zone & Growth Zone
We talked about how each of us has our “comfort zone” of activities we’re accustomed to and we feel totally relaxed doing. When we’re trying new things and in our “growth zone,” our hearts may be racing a little bit and our breathing can get more audible. We naturally feel a bit of stress and discomfort, because we are experiencing something new. 
Sharing our nervousness with others, and understanding that most of us feel the same way when we’re trying something new, can help us push through the discomfort and discover new things we really enjoy at camp. An example we talked about was going on the high ropes course. Many of us feel nervous about being up so high, but for campers like Jojo, who’ve been at camp for many years and gone across the ropes course numerous times, it can start feeling comfortable up there. To get in our growth zone at an activity we have a lot of experience with, we need to try a new skill – like going across the course blind-folded!
For some of us, an activity is just too far outside our comfort zone right now, and that’s okay, too. That is what we can call our “red zone” or “blackout zone,” and it’s okay to pull back and just take baby steps into our growth zone as we expand our comfort zone trying new things.
Setting SMART Goals
At tonight’s cabin campfires, the sharing topic is our goal(s) for the session. We talked about creating SMART goals and reviewed the SMART Goal acronym:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based
Download your own copy of our SMART Goal poster by clicking the image below. 
We also gave campers some examples of goals related to friendships or activities. The goal examples were:
Write three WOWs today to encourage my friends.
Learn to capsize and right a sailboat by the end of Session 2.
We brainstormed action items for learning to capsize and right a sailboat and campers came up with:
- Sign up for sailing for free time to get in extra practice.
- Ask questions and listen to coaching from sailing instructors.
- Learn from mistakes.
Related
Why Kids Need to Get Uncomfortable
Grit is Grown Outside the Comfort Zone
Want to read more about bringing some of the “magic” of GAC home? Check out Audrey “Sunshine” Monke’s book HAPPY CAMPERS, which is available on Audible!