Goal Setting -
Catalyst Basketball Training Community,
I am Brian Sullivan, the co-founder of Fortitude Mental Performance. I am excited to continue the newsletter series with Catalyst Training to educate, inspire, and provide you with opportunities to train the mental skills and mindsets that athletes use to reach their peak performance at the highest levels in sports.
This week, I’ll introduce one of the foundations, and often misunderstood aspects, of peak performance: Goal setting. I am a believer that our best learning comes from experience, so I’ll share the science behind effective goal-setting as we dive into setting our own goals with an easy 4-step process!
Step 1:
To start, what is the outcome you're after? It's helpful to have a vision of what we are working toward, maybe it's making the team, or being named a starter. Don't be afraid to take a minute to reflect on what it would feel like to achieve this goal. One mistake I often see with athletes is they don't attach a time-frame for their goal. Doing so allows us to revisit our goal and reflect on our progress. Examples: I will make the team in 30 days; I will be named all-conference at the end of the season.
I will __________________ in _______________________ days/months
Step 2:
Next, we'll want to understand why this goal matters to us. If we are able to link our goals to values, or beliefs that we hold closely about who we are and what is important to us, we are more likely to achieve them. Why does this goal matter to you? Example: I want to be named a team-captain because I value leadership and being a part of team.
This goal matters to me because __________________
Step 3:
Now, here's what we often miss with goal-setting. We want to break it down into controllable actions. The truth is, a lot of outcomes rely on factors outside of our control. When we break our goals down into daily actions that we have control over, we are creating a process or a blue print to achieve our desired outcomes. Research tells us that these smaller controllable goals have the biggest impact on success. Then your job is to consistently commit to these daily actions. Example: work on ball handling for 15 mins, shoot after practice, watch film.
What simple actions can you take today/this week to move you closer to your goal? Focus on these steps daily!
_________
_________
_________
Step 4:
Lastly, we want to identify internal obstacles that may get in the way of you taking these small steps. What may show up that makes it difficult to commit to these things? Will you be tired? Distracted by other things to do? Stress with school? We'll want to plan for obstacles to show up and how we can overcome them! Example: If I am stressed with school, I will map out my week to make sure I save time to shoot after practice.
If ___________________ (obstacle) shows up, then I will __________________(plan).
Well done! Now your job is to revisit these goals and learn from your progress. Interested in learning more about how training your mind can take your game to the next level? Reach out for a free 15-minute strategy call.