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| Goals | |||||||||||||||||||
| by Doug Reese TTNL | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Athletes from all sports are looking to improve and to improve their statistics. Athletes are also searching for the mental edge that will allow them to maximize their performance. The difference today in physical ability between competitors is often minimal at best.True athletic success comes to the athlete who competes closest to their potential.
Goals play a vital part in the mental edge and maximum performance of an athlete. Take away an athlete's goals and you will probably notice a big decline in motivation. |
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| "...it must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." - Benjamin E. Mays | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal setting is a very powerful tool that can yield valuable returns in all areas of your life, including your athletic performance. At its simplest level the process of setting goals allows you to choose where you want to go in life and in your athletic career. By knowing what you want to achieve, you now have a guide to show you what to concentrate on and improve upon. Goal setting gives you long term vision as well as short term motivation.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemd a long pointless grind. Athletic Principle By setting goals and measuring their achievement, you are able to see what you have done and what you are capable of doing. The process of achieving goals and seeing their achievement gives you confidence and the self-belief that you will be able to achieve higher and more difficult goals. Providing you have the self-discipline to carry through, goal setting is a relatively easy process. Setting Goals Effectively The way in which you set goals strongly affects their effectiveness. Before you begin to set goals, you should have laid the groundwork of goal setting by:
General Guidelines to Goal Setting The following broad guidelines apply to setting effective goals. Use Positive Statements: Express your goals positively..."stay in good defensive position, look to create opportunities for a steal..." is a much better goal than saying..."don't get beat in a fast break situation." Be Precise: Set a precise goal, putting in dates, times and amounts by which the achievement can be measured, so that you know the exact goal is achieved. You then can derive satisfaction from having successfully achieved your stated goal. Set Priorities: Where you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals. This also helps direct your attention to the most important goals. Write Down Your Goals: This helps to avoid confusion and to give yourself a directed focus. Post Your Goals and Read Them Daily: Posting your goals and reading them aloud often helps you keep focused on them. By reading your goals you make them affirmation statements. They now become real and part of you. |
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| "I read my goals every day. I believe them, pray them, sleep them, and dream them."
Mike Singletary - NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker - Chicago Bears |
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| Keep Your Intermediate Goals Small: Keep the goals you are immediately working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunity for reward. Today's goals should be derived from larger ones.
Set Performance Goals, Not Outcome Goals: You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible - there is nothing as dispiriting as failure to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control, such as poor officiating, injury, excellence in performance from other competitors, or just plain bad luck. Goals based on outcomes are extremely vulnerabe to things beyond your control. Goals Must Be Specific: An athlete needs to state their goal in a specific manner, "I want to hit 85% of my free throws," is a specific goal that allows you to have a definite idea of what you want to achieve. Another specific goal would be to say, "I will run two miles a day, at least four days per week." If you achieve all the conditions of a measurable goal, then you can be confident and comfortable in its achievement. |
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"...have a clear-cut objective...recognize every resistance that will prevent you from reaching your objective...have a plan of action that will overcome the resistance..."
Tom Landry - Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys |
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| Setting Realistic Goals: Setting goals at the correct level is a skill that takes practice. Set a goal that might be possible to achieve. "I will work out for two hours every day," might sound like a good goal. Unfortunately, many athletes with school, jobs, and other commitments may not be able to achieve this goal. They might become discouraged by the failure and just might quit working out all together. "I will workout three days a week for a minimum of one hour each day," sounds more realistic. By setting achievable goals, you should allow yourself a chance at actually meeting the goal.
Goals Must Be Concrete: Make your goals something that can be measured. If you can measure a goal, then you will be able to determine whether you reached the goal or not. If your goal hasn't been met, you can at least see how close you came. Goals Must Be Self-Referenced: Self-referenced simply means that you make the goals fit you and your ability. Focus on your goals based upon what you can do. Goals Setting Checklist If you believe, yo can achieve anything. But first, you must define your desires and your dreams, then get them into action to pursue them. It is your athletic career, you must create it. Take the time to study, plan, and think about what you truly want out of your sport. Now get into action!
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| "The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities. That goal is within your reach."
John Wooden - Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, UCLA |
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| God's Performance Principle
Goal setting, it is not a subject that you thought might be addressed in the Bible, did you? Even Jesus talked about his goal: |
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| "I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. In any case, I must keep on going today and tomorrow and the next day..." (Luke 13:32-33) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jesus' goal was to do the will of his Father, which entailed teaching about the Kingdom of God, driving out demons, healing the sick and the lame. Jesus knew what his goals were and he pressed on each and every day. Jesus never lost sight of his ultimate goal to be reunited once again with his Father in heaven. Jesus was able to maintain his focus on his goals, even when the shadow of the cross loomed before him.
The apostle Paul was a man driven to be number one. His years of hard work, training and determination had set him far above many of his peers. Read as Paul boasts about his accomplishments: |
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| "...I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." (Philippians 3:4-6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Paul simply states, he has achieved it all. Paul rose to the ranks of a fearless champion in the pursuit of his goals. You might say as a teacher of the law in Israel, Paul was a champion of champions.
It is important when you set goals, you must have the proper perspective. Perspective is the way we view things, events and life. No person or athlete embarks upon a goal haphazardly. There is always a certain perspective towards a goal decided upon: What are the trade-offs necessary? Will it be worth it? Is the benefit and the value worth the effort? How does it fit in the light of cometing demands and interests? Again, Paul gives us a true perspective on this. |
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| "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him..." (Philippians 3:7-9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Paul clearly states that all he achieved in life, all of his hard work, time and effort were a waste, a loss. All the awards and honors he achieved were garbage. The only thing worth pursuing was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Something happened to transform Paul's perspective and his goals. He finally understood what it meant to pursue the highest goal in life. The pursuit of God and a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ is where true fulfillment, satisfaction and peace can be found. Goal setting and the pursuit of athletic achievement is not a bad thing. It only becomes a negative pursuit when you wrap up your whole life trying to win a prize, a medal, a ring, or a trophy or title. What does God's Word, the Bible say to us about what should be our ultimate goal in life? |
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| "Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet taken hold of . But one thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| According to the apostle Paul, knowing Christ in a faith relationship is of supreme value. The godly goal of maturity in Christ overrides and influences any athletic, physical, social, financial, professional or personal goal we might set for ourselves. Other goals are certainly necessary, but we must first understand God's ultimate goal in order to harmonize with His plan and purpose for our lives. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) "For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36) |
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| Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, TTNL Reprinted with permission | |||||||||||||||||||
