When the Goal Becomes Reality
Yes, you want to all-state, but do you want to put in the work it takes to get there?
Maybe you want compete at the next level. Do you want to put in the work it takes to get there?
You want to break that PR this season. Are you ready to put in the work it takes to get there?
The first step in goal setting is nailing down what it is you want to achieve. The second is being honest with yourself and asking if you are willing to put in the action. Do you want to do what it takes to achieve your goal?
Are you ready to wake up before the sun? Are you willing to stay after practice for more practice? Are you going to make the sacrifices needed to get you to where you want to go?
When we set a goal for ourselves, a lot of the time we come out of the gate with passion and intensity; ready to do what it takes to achieve said goal. However, over time that motivation can wane. That goal still remains, but we might lose the motivation to continue taking action on a daily basis. We level out and stay put on somewhat of a plateau.
When striving for your goal, here are a few things you can do according to neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman.
Action Words
Identify action words that will take you to your goal. Run, shoot, jump, practice, go, hit, make, etc. Be specific. I will make 100 free throws a day. I will run x amount of miles each day. I will go to bed at 9:30 PM so that I can have adequate rest. I will wake up at 6:00AM four times a week to train before work/school. I will turn off my cell phone at 8:30 PM so that I’m not tempted to mindlessly scroll until midnight. I will fuel my body with proper nutrition. I will drink x amount of ounces of water each day so that I am hydrated. I will utilize imagery for x amount of minutes on the bus rides to meets. What are the action steps that need to be taken to reach your goal? Be specific.
Write It Down. Hang It Up. Repeat.
At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard someone tell you to write your goal down and hang it where you can see it. However, rather than just writing it once and popping, say, a sticky note on your mirror, instead re-write the goal each day (not in your phone, but with actual pen/pencil and paper). Re-write it and change the location each day. Don’t let it become part of your normal decor that you grow used to and simply pass by.
Motivation & Visualization
When you’re feeling it. Some days you’re going to be motivated. Some days you simply won’t be. If you are motivated and ready to put in the work…the action steps you’ve set for yourself; then for 1-5 minutes, visualize the outcome of success. What will it feel like when you accomplish this goal? What will it feel like when you put on that all-state jacket for the first time? What will it feel like when you are signing with that college team you’ve dreamed of playing for? How awesome will it feel to slide that state ring onto your finger. What will it feel like to take that barefoot victory lap and then ride the bus home singing Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani after your team wins a state track meet. What will it feel like when the goal becomes reality?
Days you are motivated to complete your action steps: for 1-5 minutes visualize the positive outcome of goal attainment.
When you’re not feeling it. Now on the days you are not feeling motivated to put in the work, rather than visualizing the success, instead, for 1-5 minutes, imagine how lousy it will feel if you don’t achieve the goal you are chasing. Imagine how awful it will feel if you miss breaking that 6:00 minute mile by 2 seconds. If you ride the bench all season. If you never get to go to the next level and play at the college you dreamed of. If you don’t get to pop on that all-state jacket or that state ring. I am not saying imagine yourself performing poorly, I’m saying imagine what it will feel like if you do not achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself.
Days you are unmotivated to complete your action steps: for 1-5 minutes, visualize what it will feel like if you fall short of your goals.
Recap
Do I want to achieve this goal?
Do I want to do what it takes to achieve this goal?
With pencil/pen and paper; write down your goal and place it in a different location each day.
When work time comes, if motivated, visualize, for 1-5, minutes what it will feel like if you achieve your goal.
When unmotivated, visualize, for 1-5 minutes, failure and what it will feel like if you fall short.
Recognize that in this performance journey there will be highs, lows, and plateaus. Some days you will be come to the party motivated and will see improvement, other days you may ride the struggle bus and things will be ugly, some may be neither high nor low and more of just meh. Anxiety and frustration are part of goal achievement. Expect this to come and keep chipping away at those goals one day at a time.
If you’d like to learn more about mental skills training, book a free a consultation with Dr. Fuller today!
Also, if you’re interested in the science of goal achievement and what’s taking place in your brain when setting and striving toward goals, pop by The Huberman Lab and check out the Podcast Goals Toolkit.
