The process of achieving your goals, first begins with knowing what you are aiming to accomplish. Many people find that they do not have specific or measurable goals for anything they are working on. We have a tendency to think about what we want to happen, without much thought put into the specifics. We simply have not been taught the proper way to do so, and then must rely on parents, coaches, books and whoever else we come in contact with, to educate us. Those who are at the top 1% of their profession, are frequently found to write down their goals. At DM Athletics, we have our athletes do the same.
After writing down your goals, it is important to place it someplace where you can see it regularly. This will ensure that you keep it at the top of your mind, while you work to achieve those goals. When you fail to do so, you occupy your mind with the everyday challenges that we all face. The tendency is to focus all of our attention on the things that come up daily, without any attention paid to the more important things that we wish to accomplish. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” rings true for your goals as well.
The next step in the process, is to visualize actually achieving that goal. When you visualize yourself doing something, your brain holds on to those images and feelings, further helping you in your effort. I was never a big fan of visualization techniques but there is overwhelming evidence out there that proves it works. The brain can’t tell the difference between doing something visually or physically. You can take extra reps at anything mentally, and improve.
The third step in the goal setting process is coming up with a plan to achieve those goals. The plan you set will be the road map to the execution of your goal. It will change, as unknown events are sure to arise. However, you can always adjust a plan–but failure to plan, is a plan to fail.
The last step of the process is to execute. When you carry out your plan, you should have increased confidence, due to a well planned process. Now is the time not to think, but to take action. When you have written down your goals, visualized achieving them, and have a plan to accomplish it, you are ahead of almost everyone you are competing against.
This is just one way that we help our athletes achieve their goals. It is a process from getting it written down to having the confidence that they will achieve it. It is amazing to watch the light turn on for our athletes–when they realize that they are capable of doing the things we talked about before they started. Contact us now if you are serious about achieving your goals!
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