Today is Groundhog Day. As the old German superstition states, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2 and sees its shadow it will go back into its den and anticipate six more weeks of winter; if it does not sees its shadow, it’s a good omen that spring will arrive early.

But Groundhog Day is also another marker of sorts. It’s by this time we have either fully adopted our New Year’s resolutions and goals or have given up and resigned to our lack of will power.  Not to be deterred by shaky will power or silly groundhogs, the youth at Terracina Apartments in Ontario, California, recently learned a few valuable lessons in setting goals.

During recent activities at the Project Access Resource Center at the Terracina apartment community the assembled youth learned about what SMART goals are, how to set one, and how to effectively write them out. They also received a 2022 planner to help them stay organized, and encouragement to write down more of their goals every month.

You might be curious as to exactly what SMART goals are? SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. Each part of the SMART framework works in unison to create a goal that is thoughtfully planned, clear, trackable, and reasonably attainable.

Our youth are not the only ones that benefit from setting SMART goals. They are also highly effective when planning out education and career goals for adults. Whether setting personal or professional goals, anyone using the SMART goal framework can create a strong base for achieving success. 

So, no matter what Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog may predict today for our winter/spring forecast, it’s a sure thing that our youth at Terracina Apartments are already set with goals firmly in place for success in 2022.

Spoiler alert: he saw his shadow!