Guidelines For Successful Goal Setting
To be successful in your desired activities, there are several guidelines that are important to understand.
1. Goals provide direction. When you have a goal you can measure whether you are on course or not, and then continue doing what you are doing or take appropriate action to get back on course if you are off course.
2. Goals should be specific. You need to know exactly what you want to accomplish so you can work on this goal attainment in your visualizations in the mental rehearsal part of the program.
3. Goals should be written. Research in the time management field indicates that successful people all have goals. Those people in the top 5% of their professions have one common denominator – WRITTEN GOALS.
4. Goals should have a means of measurement. You should be able to measure your movement toward the attainment of a goal as well as measure whether you accomplish your goal or not. To do so, you must have sub-goals or short-term goals. Accomplishing these short-term goals, you can assess where you are, what you are doing, and make whatever changes you need to make to get back on course.
5. Goals should have a time factor. You should have a completion date for your goal. This helps motivate you to GET GOING – NOW.
6. Goals should be high but achievable. They should be within your ability level to achieve them. But remember, don’t sell your self short. Often we fail to see our potential. Ask yourself the question, “If I do everything in my power, and if things go well, what is my potential within the time frame available?” My pet peeve – Low level objectives.
Goals need not be limited to athletics. They can help take all areas of your life to a new level.
Spiritual, Moral, and Ethical Goals: Above all else, I realize that my spiritual beliefs and my ethical values will shape my life. I will do what is right.
Personal Family Goals: The family is the basic social unit of our society. My family ijs very important to me in many, many ways.
Caring and Giving Goals: We must be in the community to help others, to care about other peop0le. As Coach Woody Hayes used to say, you ‘pay forward.’ We want to pay forward.
Strength and Fitness: One of the greatest gifts we have is our health. My physical conditioning is controllable. My conditioning is important – “Fatique makes cowards of us all.” I will develop lifetime positive habits.
Academics and Career Goals: The primary reason for our athletes to be in school is to achieve academically, to earn a high grade point average, and provide the maximum opportunities for their future educations.
The Team – Family Goals: In being part of a team, our athletes have an extension of their families. Our team family is our teammates and coaches. They count on me, and I count on them. I will achieve great things with and for my team family.
