Effective Goal Setting for Sports Performance

Goal Setting has become such a mainstream activity in business and sport that you might be forgiven for wondering if it is worth covering at all. Indeed, one of most basic premises of theories of motivation is that we, as humans, select goals that will satisfy our psychological or biological needs. Nowhere is this more true than in the achievement-based environment of sport., This article will tell you how to make the right choices or go about the process in the best possible way.

Why Set Goals?

A common view of goals is as a tool to be used in the quest for higher levels of motivation. Goal-Setting Theory and subsequent refinements based on research and practice provide a process to create goals that will motivate us to higher levels of performance.

Goals, in this sense, provide a motivational focus; a purpose if you like. If you set goals appropriately you will find that you gain access to feelings of satisfaction, confidence and calm. The flip side is that inappropriate goals can be a source of anxiety or stress.

Your goals also represent a means of evaluating your performance and represent core values and beliefs about sport and success. In short, criteria that focus on self-improvement or effort are considered to be more positive than a focus on performance against others. Of course, this is a simplified view and context needs to be taken into account - are you a developing athlete or about to compete in your swansong at the Olympic games, where only a medal will do?

 

Remember too, that goals are not the be-all-and-end-all of motivation. In fact, only setting goals as a source of motivation can shut off many potentially important sources of inspiration and creativity. In other words, balance is required.

How to set goals

There is a great deal of literature on the market that includes goal setting, and a popular way of expressing the principles of goal setting is SMART (Specific, measurable, adjustable, realistic and time-based). I have seen several versions of SMART, however, so I will set out some principles below and let you find your own way of remembering them.

1. Make goals as specific as possible. “To compete in the Olympics”. Well, as admirable as that is, you need to ask when, in what sport, in what event?

2. Divide long-term goals into short-term goals with deadlines and priorities. “To complete in the Olympics in four years time, in the 100 metres (athletics). This gives more direction. However, what do you need to do in three years time to be on track to achieve your Olympic dream? What about this season? What about this week? By creating ‘stepping stones’ the path to your ultimate goal will become much more clear. It may become apparent that to achieve one goal you may have to trade off against another – so know your priorities.

3. Set measurable goals. “Work hard in training” indicates the right sentiment, but will not provide guidance towards your goal. “Attend every session this month” or “Hold a pulse rate of 170 for this next set” however, might.

4. Make goals challenging but achievable. You have to be able to decide, with all available help, whether your goals are achievable. Even if you have been identified as a talented athlete, the chances of reaching the Olympics may be slim. Slim is fine – remember your goals must be challenging – but goals set too high can demotivate rather than motivate.

5. Evaluate your progress regularly, and be flexible. With your measurable goals, that provide stepping stones to your ultimate goal, you will be able to see how well you are progressing. If, two years before the Olympics, you break you leg, you might still achieve your final goal, but you will have to alter the stepping stones. If you break it six weeks before the games, however, your final goal will have to change. If you achieve your goals before you expected to, set new ones.

6. Consider writing down your goals, and share them. We tend to commit to goals that are written down, and shared goals (either as part of the process or after they have been set) are more effective still. If you keep a training or competition log (there’s a tip!) this might be the ideal place to keep your goals written down. However, this is very much down to individual preference.

Process, Performance or Outcome Goals?

While outcome goals, which relate to your performance versus others; or performance goals, which are your whole performance independent of others; can be very useful, it is important to ask yourself “How will I achieve that?”. The resulting answers will provide you with Process Goals. For example, to run in the Olympics you must achieve a qualifying time. What do you need to do to achieve that time?

Process goals can consist of:

• Technical goals – such as length of stride
• Tactical goals – the race or game plan
• Physical goals – these are easier to set if you have scientific testing available, but could include your diet or fluid intake, say
• Psychological goals – such as maintaining concentration for the whole race

Another way of looking at your goals might be to list your current practices (e.g. physical or technical drills) and other habits (e.g. diet) and add ‘so that….’ to the end of each one.

For example: “I train with weights 3 times each week…so that…… I can increase my strength by 10% this season ”

If every ‘so that’ on your list can be followed by a goal or ‘stepping stone’, your everyday behaviours are in tune with your goals. If not, your behaviours could be unhelpful or unnecessary, or there may be other goals that you left unexplored.

Summary

I have covered in some detail the ‘how?’ of goal setting and a little of the ‘what?’. If you follow these guidelines you will find that you can stay focused on your dreams and gain confidence as you get closer to doing so. Remember to be flexible, as in life, things change!

References and further reading.

For a complete discussion on goal setting theories and research:

Hall, K. and Kerr, A.W. (2001). Goal Setting in Sport and Physical Activity: Tracing Empirical Developments and Establishing Conceptual Direction. In G.C. Roberts (Ed.), Advances in Motivation in Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

For more information on SMART goals:

Bull, S., Albinson, J.G., Shambrook, J (1996). The Mental Game Plan. Sports Dynamics.

Do you want to improve your mental skills? Try Ken Ravizza's DVD "Mental Skills for Competitive Athletes" or Daniel Gould's DVD "Five Essential Mental Skills for Sport"

Improve your focus and motivation or sports confidence with handy strategy cards from  Mindsport Ltd's Sam Kotadia.