Beverly K. Bachel - What Do You Really Want?: How to Set a Goal and Go for It! A Guide for Teens

Copyright 2016, 2001 by Beverly K. Bachel

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bachel, Beverly K., 1957

Title: What do you really want? : how to set a goal and go for it! a guide for teens / Beverly K. Bachel.

Description: Revised & Updated Edition. | Golden Valley : Free Spirit Publishing, 2016. | Revised edition of the authors What do you really want?, 2001. | Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015050599 (print) | LCCN 2015039910 (ebook) | ISBN 9781631980992 (Web pdf) | ISBN 9781631981005 (epub) | ISBN 9781631980305 (paperback) | ISBN 1631980300

Subjects: LCSH: Goal (Psychology) | SuccessPsychological aspects. | BISAC: JUVENILE NONFICTION / Social Issues / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance. | JUVENILE NONFICTION / School & Education. | JUVENILE NONFICTION / Social Issues / Values & Virtues.

Classification: LCC BF505.G6 (print) | LCC BF505.G6 B33 2016 (ebook) | DDC 153.8dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015039910

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Reading Level Grades 7 & Up; Interest Level Ages 11 & Up;

Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level Z

Edited by Jana Branch, Darsi Dreyer, Elizabeth Verdick, and Alison Behnke

Cover and interior design by Colleen Rollins

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CONTENTS

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FOREWORD: A NOTE FROM ANN BANCROFT

Getting through high school and college is one of my greatest achievements. Ann Bancroft, teacher, explorer, and author

I have always loved nature and the outdoorsand Ive always had a hunger for adventure. When I was eight years old, I led my own mini-expeditions, convincing my cousins to join me on backyard camping trips in the middle of winter. (We lived in Minnesota!) At twelve, I learned about Sir Ernest Shackletons legendary 1914 Antarctic voyage on the ship the Endurance , which became trapped in sea ice just one days sail from reaching Antarctica. The ship eventually sank, leaving its crew stranded for nearly two years. (Thankfully everyone survived.) From then on, I knew I wanted to be a polar explorer.

As a teen, my goal was to go to college and become a teacher. Because I had a learning disability, school wasnt easy for me. In fact, some days felt like a torment. But my goal to teach kept me focused on the future.

Today, Im both a teacher and an explorer. Im also the first woman to ski across the ice to both the North and South Poles. I had to overcome many obstacles along the way, but Im living my dream and doing what I feel I was meant to do. And I know you can, too. No matter how impossible it may seem sometimes, you really do have the power to set your own course. Its not easy, but it is rewarding. And your achievementsno matter how big or smallwill stay with you for life.

If I could offer you only one piece of advice, it would be this: never accept no when it comes to pursuing your dreams. Believe in yourself and what you want to do, so you can get what you really want out of life. The skills youll learn from this bookincluding how to set goals, build a support team, and keep yourself motivatedwill help you set your course and make the most of your life. And this new and revised version, which covers the entire journey from inspiration to celebration, makes it even easier to put the power of goal-setting to work for you.

Whatever your dream might be, remember that youve got what it takes to achieve it. Now, get going!

Ann Bancroft is the founder of Bancroft Arnesen Explore (yourexpedition.com), an organization that empowers young people to achieve their dreams and explore issues that affect the world. Ann is also the founder of the Ann Bancroft Foundation (annbancroftfoundation.org), a nonprofit that gives girls the chance to live their dreams and reach their full potential. A popular speaker on the topics of teamwork, leadership, and goal setting, Ann draws on her experience making land, sea, and ice expeditions all around the world. She visits schools often and offers several kids education programs, including Dare to Dream, which was developed in conjunction with the author of this book.

INTRODUCTION

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph, Olympic track-and-field athlete

What are some of your dreams? Your hopes? We all have them. And its fun to imagine the amazing things you might do, be, achieve, learn, or have someday. But what about today? Are you doing anything right now to make your hopes and dreams come true? When you hear yourself saying, I wish... or I dream... or I really hope... or If only I could... its time to act. This book can help. How do I know? Because Ive used the information in this book to reach my own goals. From making new friends to buying my first car, from improving my golf game to starting a business, goal setting has helped me accomplish all sorts of thingsincluding writing this book (which for me is a dream come true).

When I was your age, I had lots of hopes and dreams. I knew there were thousands of possibilities out there, but I wasnt sure how to make them real. I wish someone had shown me how to set goals. It wasnt until I was an adult that I understood that goal setting is something you can learnand even excel aton your own.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book explains the why, what, and how of goal setting, so you can set and reach goals yourself. Youll discover what goals are, why they matter, and how you can use them to get what you really want. Throughout the book, watch for the Hot Tip boxes, where youll find tools and advice for reaching your goals, and for Goal Getters in Action, where youll read stories from dozens of teens I interviewed. Theyre people just like you whove used goal setting to improve their lives. They live in small towns and big cities across North America and beyond. Their aspirations, personalities, and outlooks on life are as unique as their schools, families, friendships, and communities. No two are alike, but they do share a strong commitment to improving their lives and their world.