This past Sunday night, close to 60 yeshiva bochurim attended a special bain hazmanim seminar on vision and goal setting.

The evening began with divrei chizuk from Rabbi Ben Tzion Kokis, rav of Khal Zichron Mordechai and mashgiach at Yeshiva Shaarei Torah,and Rabbi Chaim Schabes, Rav of Congregation Knesses Yisroel. The seminar was led by Rabbi Doniel Frank, director of M.A.P. Seminars, an organization dedicated to motivating and teaching performance skills to young yeshiva men and women.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AUDIO CLIPS FROM THE SEMINAR

Rabbi Frank opened the seminar by referencing the new shiduch crisis – broken engagements and early divorces – and emphasized the need for boys to use their years in yeshiva to develop the critical qualities they will need to achieve success in their future relationships and life.

Towards that end, the seminar focused on the imperative of taking personal responsibility, eliminating blame, excuse making, and dependency, as well as the critical role that goal setting plays in achieving all of that.

Rabbi Frank emphasized the importance of becoming a planner, and a willingness to demonstrate accountability in all aspects of our lives and at every stage.

He added that one must invest in thoughtful self-reflection to come up with goals that reflect his essence, rather than fall back on popular clichés and universal plans that cannot fit all.

The seminar offered a glimpse of several goal setting strategies and techniques. At the same time, Rabbi Frank also made it clear that behind successful goal setters is personal vision and passion, and that working on becoming visionary and passionate is the first and most important lesson of the seminar.

The participants were deeply moved and inspired, many using feedback forms to ask for more. In the words of one 1^st year bais medrash bochur, “The seminar was really useful… probably the most practical speech I ever heard!”