Today’s blog post is going in a little bit of a different route. I have talked about sports nutrition to training, contest prep and even gone into cardio work outs. Let’s turn reverse on, and slow it down a bit. Before you can train, eat clean or live healthier there is usually a turning point. Why are you making a change in your daily routines? What about the reason for sweating daily, or the contest ride on the pain train? All of this comes down to goals. Goal setting is critical to get from point A to point B, with success! This process allows you to establish the reasons for your actions- one of the most powerful and effective skills you can ever learn.
Think that you don’t need goal setting? Goal setting helps to mobilize effort and adds persistence. Through the practice of goal setting, you develop new strategies, making your journey not only effective and time efficient, but you also increase the probability of ACHIEVING your goal!
Goals come in three different forms. First we have Outcome Goals. These focus on social comparison and competitive results. From winning a race to outplaying your opponent, Outcome Goals can increase short term motivation but also increases anxiety! Second, Performance Goals focus on improving and attaining personal performance standards. Don’t like how you placed in your last competition, or what about wanting to give 100% every time you train? These are both examples of performance goals. The more precise you are when making this type of goal, the better the results. Our last type of goal Process Goals, focus on specific behaviours, either physical or psychological. These goals allow you to reach your Performance and Outcome Goals. For example, wanting to improve your running stride, or better for lifting form. Although a very useful tool, Process Goals can cause you to become overly conscious in of your actions. I just want to touch on Smith’s SMART goals. This theory of goals states the effective goals must be: Specific, Measurable, Action-orientated, Realistic, Time-based and Self determined.
Although highly theorized about, I am going to use Locke and Latham’s Goal Setting Theory. First introduced to me in first year of university, I still find this is the easiest and best way to break down goals. Locke and Latham use two fundamental processes to look at goals the first being, consider that difficult goals lead to considerably higher levels of performance than easy goals. Next, specific goals lead to higher levels of performance than vague goals (“do your best” goals, or no goal).
What does it take to have an effective goal to get the job done?
- Specificity … “this is what I need to do”
- Temporality … short term vs. long term
- Moderate Difficulty vs. Challenging … the harder the more effort put forth
- Collectivity … “You vs. Yourself” vs. Team Goals
- Flexibility … what are you willing to change to get your goal?
- Controllability … how much control do you have?
- Needs Assessment … looking at your barriers, what could/would/should get in your way
- Product vs. Process Orientation … your outcome or the process to get there
- Evaluate and Reinforce Your Goal Attainment … reward or punish for your goal achievement
So now that we have determined what goals are, effective goal setting and types of goals I want to give you some tips to make magic happen! Write down your goals, and make them public! This not only makes you accountable, but it also allows others to be supportive of you. Clearly state your goals in a positive manor. There is no negativity allowed. Take into consideration if your goal is for a specific thing or more general. Remember that too many goals within a program does not allow for the proper completion and monitoring of them. This will cause you to lose interest.
Be open to the idea of goal setting. It surprises me how many people are negative about the idea of even setting a goal. Don’t underestimate yourself. It takes time to accomplish a goal, so leave yourself enough time! And last but not least, review your goals regularly! Keep them fresh, fun and focused! Alright people, let’s do this! There is no better time to start then now! Grab a piece of paper and write and begin your journey!
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe”- Anatole France
