How to tackle your NDIS goals by Christmas
We all have goals that we’re working towards, whether they’re related to our personal life, hobbies and interests, or career. Many of us have ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ goals that we set at the start of the year which we want to achieve by the end of it. But if you’re an NDIS participant, then you’ll have NDIS goals: goals set in your plan for what you want to achieve in the future.
If you still haven’t achieved all your NDIS goals, don’t worry! It’s never too late to start preparing to achieve them, and we can help you do it. With Christmas coming up, there are plenty of activities and programs to help you achieve your goals available at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs.
What are NDIS goals?
NDIS goals are things that you’d like to achieve in the future using your funding and supports. Everyone wants something different from their lives, which means that everyone will have different goals.
Each goal should be something that’s important to you and realistically achievable. It could be something like: “I want to learn to cook a meal”, or “I want to exercise more.”
Whatever your NDIS goals are, setting them is a great way to gain more control over your plan and the types of support you get. They help to keep you on track towards what you want most, and help ensure you get the NDIS support you need to achieve it.
You can find out more about NDIS goals and why they’re important.
Now, let’s talk about how you can achieve your NDIS goals before Christmas!
Ways to achieve your NDIS goals
There are lots of ways to achieve your NDIS goals, no matter what time of year it is. Whether you want to make new friends, learn a new skill, get more involved in your community or something else, you’ll find activities to help you achieve it at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs.
Let’s start with a simple but very important tip: your goals don’t have to be HUGE!
Make your goals manageable
Sometimes, smaller is better. By setting smaller goals or breaking a big goal into smaller parts, you can make your goals realistic and achievable within a shorter time frame.
Here’s an example: Emma is 25 years old, and building independence is important to her. Her big goal is to move out of her parents’ house. Exciting! Since moving out requires Emma to build new skills and might take longer than a year, she decides to break that goal down into smaller parts which are more achievable.
Instead of making ‘moving out of home’ her NDIS goal for the year, she decides to make three smaller goals:
- Learn some cooking skills
- Practice doing grocery shopping
- Learn some money and budgeting skills
These goals are much more achievable than ‘moving out of home’, and Emma feels more empowered because she can tick them off before the end of the year!
Now, let’s talk about the activities at our Learning and Lifestyle Hubs which can help you achieve your goals.
With Christmas just around the corner, the program calendars at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs are packed with social, recreation and lifestyle activities every week!
Achieving your goals with Learning and Lifestyle Hubs
More than just a place to spend the day, the activities we offer at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs are designed to help you identify your goals for daily living, community participation, learning and building relationships – and of course having fun!
Working with you, and with your strengths and interests, we’ll co-design your learning program that gets you to where you want to be.
Here are some of our popular activities which you might find at your local centre.
Recreation & Lifestyle programs
Our Recreation & Lifestyle programs are designed to help you connect with and contribute to your community. You’ll have the opportunity to have fun, make connections and do what makes you happy.
If your goal is to get more involved in your community, find a new hobby to enjoy, or do something fun with a group, our Recreation activities could be right for you!
Some of the Recreation and Lifestyle activities you’ll find at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs that can help you achieve your NDIS goals before include:
- Arts and Craft
- Fishing
- Bowling
- Bingo and other games
- Listening and/or playing music
Social Engagement programs
Our Social Engagement programs are designed to help you make connections and build social skills in your local community. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in group activities at your local Learning and Lifestyle hub or at local events, contribute to your community through volunteering, build social skills in a supported environment and more.
If your goal is to make friends, improve or practice your social skills, or join a group of people who share your hobbies or interests, our Social Engagement activities could be right for you!
Some of the Social Engagement activities you’ll find at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs that can help you achieve your NDIS goals before Christmas include:
- Volunteering (at local events, with local charities, and more)
- Ladies Group
- Men’s Shed
- Drumming circle
- Library trips
The NDIS can help you build social skills and make and keep friends, too. Find what kinds of funded supports you can get to help you achieve your social goals.
Remember, it’s never too late to start working on your NDIS goals! The calendars at our Learning and Lifestyle hubs are packed with activities to help you achieve them – and have fun while doing it.
Whatever your goals – for life, for work and personally – we collaborate with you to identify the skills and knowledge you need in order to achieve them.