As we get ready to surround our televisions to celebrate a famous groundhog who tells us when the next season will arrive, have
you ever wondered why? As the seasons change from winter to spring, Groundhog Day allows each of us to turn over a new leaf and transition with whatever news the groundhog brings. So, whether you listen to Buckeye Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction this year, take some time to come out of hibernation and set goals for the next season no matter how soon or far away it may seem.
Groundhog Day to many is a silly and fun holiday; however, it has ancient origins. February second marks the mid-point between Halloween and Mayday, which historically, was a major festival marking the changing of seasons. In a German tradition, badgers made these types of seasonal predictions, letting people know when to expect the next season. Folklorist Stephen Wick from the American Folklife Center and Veterans History Project found that with immigration, the first account of a modern American Groundhog Day ritual happened on February 2, 1840. At this event, a Pennsylvanian storekeeper noted that the groundhog coming out of hibernation would determine 40 more days of winter or an early spring.
Thinking about how the holiday took shape helps to re-frame the reason for the season or seasons depending on what the groundhog says. As we take this time to transition, setting intentional goals as we all come out of hibernation can be crucial to personal and professional growth in the next season of our lives.
When looking forward and thinking about the next season, setting goals is an important first step. S.M.A.R.T. goals are a popular approach to goal setting that takes into consideration, what you are doing, how long you plan to take, and helps ensure you will be successful.
In the next season, establish your goals S.M.A.R. T. by making them…
- Specific : What needs to be accomplished?
- What will the new season bring for you and your loved ones? Make sure the goal is for something you want or need to accomplish. The University of California suggests that it serves as a “mission statement for your goal.”
- Measurable: How will the goal be successfully completed?
- As you plan a goal for the new season, the measurement should provide you with information. No matter what type of information you learn, setting measurable milestones along the way can ensure goal making success.
- Attainable: Can I do this?
- As you consider, can I do this, think about your abilities and whose help you may need.
- Relevant: Is this something that needs to happen now?
- In this next season, think about the goal and when it needs to happen.
- Time-Bound: Can this goal be achieved in the specified time frame?
- Setting a time for the goal to be achieved by is important. Making a time-bound goal helps hold you accountable in this new season.
As we come out of hibernation and transition to a new season, set a S.M.A.R.T goal for the next period in your life. While celebrating Groundhog Day this year, include time to set new goals for the new season; however, quickly or slowly it arrives! We would love to hear what your S.M.A.R.T. goal is or will be!
Sources:
Bailey, Ryan. Goal Setting and Action Planning for Health Behavior Change. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Sep 13;13(6):615-618. From https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1559827617729634
Bringing people together from all over the World: Groundhog Day. Image. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. https://www.groundhog.org/legend-and-lore
SMART Goals: A How to Guide. University of California. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.ucop.edu/local-human-resources/_files/performance-appraisal/How%20to%20write%20SMART%20Goals%20v2.pdf
Set SMART Goals. The University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2023m from https://effectiveu.umn.edu/tips/smartgoals
Winick, Stephen. Groundhog Day: Ancient Origins of a Modern Celebration. (February 1,2022). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2022/02/groundhog-day-ancient-origins-of-a-modern-celebration/
Author: Ryan Kline, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, 4-H Youth Development/Family and Consumer Sciences, Ross County, kline.375@osu.edu.
Reviewed by: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu.
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