5 Steps to Ensure You Achieve Your Next Goal

When you think about the goals/aspirations you laid out for yourself back in July/August/September, were those goals process focused or outcome focused?

Outcome goals are just that, outcome based with an emphasis placed on a specific performance.  These are goals that are focused on the outcome, distance, place, or victory that create pressure, anxiety, and heaviness.  An outcome goal might be to throw the weight 15m or to throw the shot-put 12m.

Process goals place an emphasis on daily habits, routines, and rituals.  Process goals are about the process and not the end result.  These thoughts are focused on the present moment and the things you need to do to be at your very best.  Did I complete my training session today?  Did I monitor my nutritional intake?  How was my recovery?  Did I get enough rest?  

To give ourselves a better opportunity to achieve our outcome goals, they need to be intrinsically motivated.  Essentially they are goals we want to achieve or accomplish because we are passionate about doing so without outside factors dictating our interest in doing so.  If our outcome goals are extrinsically motivated, we might be compelled to want to achieve this goal because of outside factors (respect garnered from others, to win something, etc.).  In essence, athletic scholarships can be viewed as extrinsic motivators for athletes.  If you do this (throw far) then our college will give you that (money to attend our college).  That is a totally different bridge to cross at another time.  But I think you get the idea.

Now would be a good time to re-evaluate your goals from the indoor season.

Step 1.  What were your goals for the indoor season?  What did you want to accomplish in track and field?

• Throw 15m in the weight and qualify for regionals
  
• Throw the shot-put 12m
  

Step 2.  After you have written down your goals for the indoor season, create a list of which goals were outcome specific and which goals were process driven.


Step 3.  When you compare your two lists, what did you specifically do to help yourself achieve your outcome goal(s)?  

• I went to throwing practice 4 days a week and threw
  

Step 4.  If you did not achieve your goals or a goal, why don’t you think you did?  What hindered your progress towards accomplishing that goal?

• I threw the weight 15m and qualified for the regional meet.  I spent more time in practice training with the weight than the shot.  I wanted to throw the weight farther.
  
• I did not accomplish my goal of throwing the shot-put 12m.  I only threw the shot-put one day a week in practice.  I spent more time throwing the weight.  
  
• I didn’t keep track of my weight room training.  
  
• I didn’t keep track of my total number of throws per week.
  
• I didn’t monitor my rest or recovery.
  
• I didn’t keep track of my nutritional intake.
  
• I didn’t watch any shot-put training videos.  I only watched my weight throw sessions.
  

Step 5.  Your list of tangible items that kept you from achieving your goal(s) from Step 4 is now a good starting point to begin developing a list of process goals to incorporate into your training for the 2022 outdoor season

Re-framing goals for the Outdoor Season

2022 Outdoor Track and Field Goals

I want to ___________________________________________ because ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This goal is important for me to achieve because (why is this goal deserving of my time and committment) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To achieve my outcome goal, I will:

Process goals (within our direct day to day control):

1. Keep track of each throwing session; the number of throws, the weighted implements, distances, duration of the training session, and goals for each session
   
2. Keep track of my weight training session; number of sets, reps, weight, rest, duration of the training session, and goals for each session
   
3. I will get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night
   
4. I will keep track of my recovery methods (trainer, foam rolling, ice, ice bath, etc.)
   
5. I will keep track of my daily nutritional intake
   
6. I will practice visualization techniques for 10 minutes every day
   

What are the habits and daily actions necessary to ensure your commitment to your goal(s)?  What must be done everyday?

In order to achieve my goal(s), I must start doing (what are the habits you need to begin implementing in order to achieve your goal?)