In a previous post, I wrote about expectation and goal setting, now let us finish with aligning your goal setting and using your goals to block out others expectations. Excellence is largely dependent upon knowing what should be accomplished, how it should be accomplished, and how much the player believes in their ability to accomplish what they desire. Setting goals and controlling expectation is all about knowing what you want to accomplish, doing it, and getting positive reinforcements for your accomplishments. In order for this positive feedback loop to be effective, your goals must be aligned with your personal goals, the team goals, and your long-term objectives.
Aligning Team Goals with Your Goals
Your long-term goals are unique to you as an individual, but the short-term season goals must be aligned with your team's goal. There is harmony when your season goals are aligned with your team goals. This harmony and single-minded focus builds a base from which you, as a player, can strive forward with confidence knowing your coach and teammates want you to succeed. In competitive sports, there are inevitable shortfalls. It is during these times that the alignment of goals with the team will bring forth their benefits as coaches and teammates help you work through the dark moments by spending extra time with you in practice and offering encouragement to continue your pursuit. Aligned coaches and teammates will watch your back and protect you from the naysayers.
On a competitive team, the top team goal will be to win at nationals, a tournament, or the high school conference or district. That is easy, but what specific goal does the coach have for you to enable the team's success. Credible coaches will talk to each player and articulate how you are specifically going to help the team reach that goal. If the coach does not proactively do this then it becomes your responsibility to ask, because the coach has this goal in his mind whether they proactively verbalizes it or not. This discussion needs to happen if your season performance goals are to be aligned with the coach.
Remember that the seasonal goals must be performance based and measurable. If the coach give you an intangible goal then how are you going to know if your accomplished it. At the end of the season, how can you tell if you successful accomplished that goal? The purpose of goal setting is to encourage player focus and direction. Intangible goals lack accountability that translates into lack of focus and lack of drive. With intangible goals, the player can claim success even before the season starts. If your coach gives you an intangible or non-performance related goal, be firm, polite, and respectful while you ask him to describe in more detail what he means and what metric is he going to use to judge accomplishment. If you are still unable to get to a measurable goal from the coach, then propose one to the coach that you believe is aligned with their wishes and description.
Once you understand how you fit into the coach's season plan, you have your first seasonal goal with the next two seasonal goals being set by you to align with your longer-term plans. Write them down and prioritize them based on how you will judge this season to be a success.
Goals Serve You, Expectations Serve Others
Earlier, I mentioned that "goals serve you, expectations serve others." Expectations are the consideration to perform a duty or obligation. I expect you to do something for me. I expect you to pay the bill. I expect a student to study for the exam. Expectations are someone (not you) expecting you to perform an action. So who is the someone in the previous sentence? It is not the coach because you have aligned your seasonal goals with them. It is not your teammates because the coach has set a seasonal goal for the team and players. The someone is a third party that is disconnected from your and the team's goals. Whether it be the fans, your parents, or a friend, it is an outside influence that will defocus you from your goals. Create a mental fortress that blocks out these expectations and detractions.
Putting It Together
Goals are directed toward the reduction of anxiety, which is why setting aligned and attainable goals are important. They motivate and guide the player in the desired direction so they can improve their probability of success. They provide a filter for non-aligned expectation. This is why goals enable athlete's to focus on the key success factors and enable them to perform at a higher level.
Put together your plan. Decide on your long-term goals for 10 years, 5 years, and 3 years. Create your three short-term performance based and measurable seasonal goal first from your coach's team goal and his goal for you and then two more that are aligned as stepping stones to reaching your long-term aspirations. Write them down and put them in a place that you can refer to them often, such as on your bathroom mirror, computer monitor or in your mp3 player. Use these short-term goals to drive your behavior and focus while keeping the distracting expectations of others outside your mental fortress. At the end of the season review your goals and determine how you performed to the metrics. I can guarantee you that you will accomplish a lot more in that season than if you had not set any goals and be much closer to achieving your 10 year objective.
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