Goal setting for the athlete in you

The first time I heard this statement, I was sitting in my living room listening to the legendary boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard. He was explaining his rise to greatness in an interview with Michael Kay on the YES network. “Plan your work. Work your plan.” It’s a simple yet profound phrase. As a complete athlete, I believe this is a critical ingredient in overcoming adversity and achieving goals. At the time of the interview, I was studying Sports Psychology. In just 6 words, this phrase summed up the many hours that I had spent studying goal setting theory and methodology. It resonated with me and after some reflection and continued study, this is what I have learned.

A mountain climber doesn't just end up on top of Mount Everest because (s)he went for a stroll one Sunday afternoon. There is meticulous, seemingly endless planning and preparation before any great journey begins. And once on the journey, progress must constantly be monitored and new plans must be made every step of the way. Accomplishing HUGE goals that we believe are worth every ounce of our effort takes this type of meticulous planning.

Setting goals is an art that can only be mastered through practice. In Sports Psychology we use key terms to study the art of goal setting. As we all know, there are long-term, short-term, and daily goals. There are goals that relate to all areas of our lives from family goals to career goals to goals that we set on and off the athletic fields. There are performance and outcome goals. A performance goal might sound like, "I will speed train 2 times a week in addition to my strength training." An outcome goal might sound like, "I will run a 4.5s forty-yard dash." Setting our goals on purpose, knowing what type of goals we are setting and why, can help us gain self-awareness, another critical ingredient of the complete athlete.

A word of advice for the athlete in you: After you set your goals and plan out your work, "work your plan." Commit to your journey, not just your destination. Progress is usually a two-steps forward one-step backward progression. Follow this progression. Believe in yourself, your plan, and your work. Achieving your goals depends on the intensity and consistency with which you plan your work and work your plan.

Vince Lombardi once said, "A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."

Stay believing,

Peter Athans