So you think you want to surf eh?

Great! Welcome to the fray, surfer brother or surfer sister … but know that many people never make it past the initial stage of learning to stand up on a board, and few make it to reaching the  goal of actually surfing a wave for the “stoke”.

Many newbie surf wanna-be’s simply give up, and walk away from their goals of becoming a surfer.

While almost all of us have goals and dreams, there have been a select few that seem to always be the ones to attain their goals without much effort or fanfare. And as true as that may seem, these select few are not any smarter or any more privileged than any of us … they simply have learned to be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time constrained).

How does one become a smart surfer, especially while learning to surf, in order to avoid becoming one of the many casualties who drop off and seek other past times and activities? Follow the five easy steps below:

BE SPECIFIC! This is where most people fail almost immediately, for the simple fact that their goals and efforts are not tuned into something specific … or for the most parts, specific enough. Almost all human beings want to be happy, but setting happiness as the goal will always lead to failure or surrender. Happiness is the end result or by-product of a goal you set. Sure, surfing will make you happy, but specifically WHAT about surfing will make you happy? Is it nose-riding? Is it pulling off some serious air time? Is it big waves? Small waves?

While it is true that you may not know yet what your final goal as a surfer may be, and those very goals may change as you discover more about the sport … it is always a good idea to set a target that can be adjusted once you learn to hit it.

If you are already a surfer, simply saying “I want to surf better” is too loose of a goal, try saying “I want to surf 6 foot waves on a longboard” in order to concretely identify the end results you desire. THAT is a start!

Make it unmistakably MEASURABLE! In order to achieve success, you need to know when certain goals are achieved. The reality is that if you are unable to measure your progress towards a goal, then you need to make it more specific. You need to see milestones being accomplished or achieved, so that a particularly difficult goal, or somewhat intangible dream, can be placed on a measurable scale to work towards.

If your specific goal is to surf 6 foot waves on a longboard, you could integrate your surf sessions to include progressively larger breaks as you get more comfortable with your surfing skills. “Every 2 weeks, I will surf a surf break that rolls at least 2 feet bigger than I normally surf.” may be a good metric to establish and measure against.

Ensure that your goals are one thing, if not anything else: ATTAINABLE! This, my fellow surf fanatics is where a lot of people begin to fall off the effort scale. Remind yourself that your goals must also be realistic, in order to keep yourself grounded towards forward progress. If you have never surfed before, and have decided to enter the brotherhood (or sisterhood) of surfers, do not set out to surf Hawaii’s Pipeline or Sunset Beach right away.

Yes, you could eventually surf Pipeline, and yes even in winter time when the waves are known to swallow some of the world’s best surfers … but set specific milestones that lead up to that goal so that you ensure constant success as you move towards your goal!

The next question you MUST ask yourself is “WHY“. Why do you want to surf? And to what end? By making your goals RELEVANT to your life and lifestyle, you can ensure that you have consistent follow though and willingness to forage on through the hard and trying times. I apologize for having to be the one to tell you this, but if you are learning to surf because your boyfriend/girlfriend surfs and you want to be closer to him/her, or if you’re surfing because all your friends are doing it, or worst … you’re surfing because you want to be like the guys and gals on television … then do us ALL a favor and just don’t do it. Stop now. Do something else. Surfing is something that will require some serious water time, some serious commitment, and endless patience. If your lifestyle or desired lifestyle is not relevant to the activity or goal you are pursuing, then you will have signed up for sure disaster and failure.

Yes you want to be a pro surfer that can ride 10 foot waves at Pipeline every weekend … but you live in Ohio. Now what?? Your objectives must make sense in the context of your environment!

Finally, all four of the SMART goals are absolutely useless without the final “T” – TIME CONSTRAINED. All of us have fizzled out on some goal at some time or another, and primarily it was due to a lack of a time frame or a deadline. The unpainted tool shed, the unhung closet doors, the unpaved driveway, and the ever increasing pile of “stuff” in the garage. Tasks and goals tend to get away from us if we do not set a deadline and follow through on them, so ensuring that your specifically measurable and attainably relevant goals are framed with a timeline ensures success in the long run.

If you think back to school exams and test papers, or work projects and deadlines, we all seem to work best when we are working towards a specific deadline. We are more focused if we know that we need to achieve our objectives by a certain date. Without a hard deadline knocking at the door or looming ever so closely, goals are fuzzy at best, and will tend to always be superseded by ‘more pressing’ concerns. Placing a time constraint on your goals prioritizes it immediately, and allows you to do the same for other things that pop-up later on.

Now that you are armed with some seriously sharp tools, SMART surfer, go forth and PLAN your surf goals and your surf dreams … and don’t drop in on anyone! Cool?

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