Goals - and the importance of setting them

It's the time of year when we tend to do less flying (certainly here in the UK) as it's cold and the weather doesn't play ball so often. Don't let that put you off - you'll be better prepared for the season ahead if you keep current and make sure you don't forget everything you've learnt over the last year. But we should all use this quieter time to take stock of what we want for the coming season and to set some goals to help us achieve them.

There are lots of theories out there about goal setting but the general principle is that we are much more likely to achieve things if we set specific goals. These need to be specific enough for us to be able to know for sure when we've achieved them and need to be a reasonable compromise between something which is too easy that there is no real sense of achievement and something that is too hard that we will just feel like we've failed in achieving our aims.

So I challenge you all to have a think about what it is you would like to achieve in your flying in 2019. This might be starting out on your aerobatic journey - and so completing your aerobatic rating might be on the list or flying a new

type solo. What about having your first go at a Club level competition? If you've previously tried competitions then I encourage you to think about moving up or aiming to get a certain (higher) percentage that will allow you to track your progress.

If you're flying with us then do have a chat with Mike or I (or any of the team) about what your goals are and how we might help you achieve them. That could be a formal training plan (if you like a bit of structure) or just to share your goals so we can celebrate with you when you achieve them!

Best of luck in setting those goals, we'd love to hear what they are.