“A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Goal setting is universally vital for all sports, education, and in the workplace. Many of times, individuals set goals but do they really buy into the process/journey of being able to accomplish those goals? For example, let’s say my goal is to be a High School State Champion. In order to be a State Champion, many sacrifices need to be made. Some of these sacrifices may include being away from family and friends, traveling for competition/training, and staying disciplined in all facets of life (education, nutrition, training, strength and conditioning, extracurriculars).

Those are some serious sacrifices for a High School Aged Student-Athlete to balance in order to make their goals become a reality (not a wish). In this blog, we are going to explain how to make an effective goal setting plan that will help you stay on task regularly, give you some pointers that have worked for student-athletes of all ages/experience levels, and apply some examples of proper goal setting techniques.

Here are a couple of things that need to be noted before we talk about how to set goals:

  1. Setting effective goals takes time and mental effort.
  2. You need to buy into the process/journey your setting out on!
  3. Accomplishing your goal(s) is not easy and the journey takes time.

Now let’s talk about how you can carry out and crush your goals!

When setting a goal, you should follow these three steps:

  1. USE THE S.M.A.R.T. METHOD

    1. The S.M.A.R.T method is essentially an outline that briefly maps out all of the objectives you need to complete in order to get to the point in which you accomplish your goal.
    2. S.M.A.R.T. Acronym

      • S: Specific: What is your goal specifically? Be thorough and make sure you include when this goal should be accomplished (day/time.)

  • M: Measurable: the ability to track your progress. How are do you measure your success during your journey?

  • A: Attainable: your goal must be something you believe you can achieve. You must fully “buy into it”.

  • R: Realistic: is your goal realistic? If so, how is it realistic?

  • T: Timely: When are you going to accomplish your goal? Goals need to have a deadline because if they are open for too long, we tend to forget about them or put them off.

  1. WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN USING THE S.M.A.R.T. METHOD:

    1. Writing out your goal(s) allows you to become more clear about the steps in which you need to take to accomplish that goal.
    2. Use this template to help you set your outline up.

      • S:

  • M:

  • A:

  • R:

  • T:

  1. HANG/POST YOUR GOAL SHEET IN A PLACE WHERE YOU REGULARLY LOOK DAILY

    1. Some good ideas of where to post your goal sheet: In your room, next to mirror, next to light switch, on your night stand etc. This is important because you will constantly be reminded to hold yourself accountable of accomplishing the goal(s) you’ve set out to achieve.

S.M.A.R.T. Method Goal-Setting Example:

S: “My goal is to become a High School State Wrestling Champion by March 2nd, 2019.”

M: “I will accomplish my goal of being a High School State Wrestling Champion by giving 100 percent in my physical/mental training, my studies, and in my nutrition every day. “

A: “This goal is attainable because I know that I am willing to put the work in to get to the point I need to get to. I will train smart and hard in both athletics and in my studies. I will also implement extra workouts into my daily schedule.”

R: “My goal of winning a High School Wrestling State Championship is realistic because my plan is to:

  • Train 2-3 times a day
  • Live life the right way: eat healthy, get enough sleep, have a positive mindset/attitude
  • Build confidence through my training and be confident through my motivation, dedication, and commitment to my craft in order to accomplish my goal.”

T: “ I will accomplish my goal of being a High School Wrestling State Champion by (roughly) 6:30 P.M. on March 2nd 2019.”

All in all, knowing how to set effective goals is so important in life. Always have your eyes on the prize, stay motivated, and crush your goals! If need be, please use this blog as a reference when you are ready to sit down and write your goal down.

Category: Track