GOALSETTING
How often do you get in your car & just drive without knowing where it is that you want to get to? What do you think the chances are of making an efficient journey and ending up where you actually want to be, if you take this approach?
Considering this makes it easy to see that before you embark on any sort of adventure, you first need to know your destination. There’s no point climbing the ladder if it’s up against the wrong wall! This is where goal setting comes in and the key importance of setting goals for all areas of your life, is that it provides absolute clarity of focus and energy that literally propel you towards success.
Imagine for a moment what it would be like to know exactly what you wanted.
Imagine that you could see it, feel it, taste it & enjoy it at every level. Imagine if it was the only thing that you had to do in your day, how much you could achieve with that single focus in your life. Surely your results would be better & achieved more quickly. Realize how much simpler it would make the whole planning process and you can start to see how vitally important it is to set your destination before you depart. You need a “goal”.
This is why we need to take the time to really explore what your goals are and make a comprehensive plan for achieving them. It will be one of the most important processes that you’ll take on your way to optimal success in sport and all the areas of your life. So, very simply, “What is it you want?” – take a few moments to think about this and write down your answers. Consider all areas of your life – your sport, your career, your finances, relationships, spirituality, etc.
Now, let’s look at what you’ve written and find where perhaps a little more clarity is required. For example, you may have written…..
“I want to run the Marathon”.
Now this is a good starting place, but “How do you want to do it, when do you want to do it, with whom do you want to do it, and so on”? A more precise goal would be…………..
“ On Sunday April 7th 2025, I want to complete the London Marathon in 3 hours and 30 minutes.”
This immediately makes the planning process a lot more focused, for you could work out exactly what you would need to average for each mile and how much you need to improve from your current level. And so it continues….
There are several key points that you need to be aware of when setting your goals. They need to be:
· Specific and Precise – make the goal as detailed as possible. When, where, with whom.
· Positive – it should read “I want x” rather than “I want to avoid or I don’t want Y”
· Optimistic – extensive research has shown that optimistic people outperform pessimists.
· Challenging – something that will make you proud to achieve & make you a better person.
· Motivating – to ensure that you actually “Take action” towards it
· Desirable – is it what you really want?
· Measurable – otherwise how will you know when you‘ve got it
· Desired Date – when do you want it by – is it this year, this month, this week?
Furthermore, there are some other key areas that I like to get people to work on to truly clarify their thoughts and approach to achieving their desired outcomes.
How much do you want it? – I mean, truthfully, how far will you go, what will you sacrifice, what will you suffer through to get the goal.
What is the specific difference between your performance/ self now and upon reaching the goal? That is – where are you now – what amount do you need to improve, exactly to hit your goal.
How exactly will you know you’ve achieved your goal? What will you see, hear, sense, smell, taste, feel at the moment of your success? Picture it and use it daily in your visualizations.
What resources do you have / will you need, to achieve your goal? You may need to invest money, get more help from your coach, gain access to a facility, learn some new skills, etc. Where can you get them, who can help you, what might be a potential problem and how will you solve it.
How much time and effort will be needed? We all have as much time as everyone else in this world. 24 hours every day. There is no more or less available!! How are you using your time now. Do you need to rearrange and make better use of it to achieve your goals. How will you do this?
How much mental and physical effort will it take? Do you have this “energy”? If not how can you get more. Emphasize achieving the goal ahead of being comfortable and achieving the goal – there is a big difference and different level of sacrifice involved.
In the light of the time and effort requirements, is the goal still worth it, or would it detract too much from all the other areas of your life. Having now looked very deeply into your desire and goals, now that you can clearly see it all, does it still feel right for you? Do you still want it?
Assuming the answer to these questions is YES, you now have a very clear vision for your future. Focus on it daily, give it attention. Track your progress and adapt as necessary.
GO FOR IT!!!
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If you want to take this one step further, then click the DO WORKSHEET button below and complete my goal-setting process. I will then reach out to you to setup a FREE 15 minute call with you to go over your notes to be sure that you are on the path to success.