Goal setting is a big part of sports psychology. Numerous research studies have highlighted the benefits and value in regular goal setting as part of a successful high performance program (Jeong, Healy McEwan, 2021). However it might surprise you to know that there are certain criticisms when it comes to goal setting. It can therefore be beneficial in understanding the criticisms of goal setting so we can avoid these pitfalls and set effective supportive goals that drive us in the direction we aspire.
Common pitfalls of goal setting to lookout for:
Overemphasis on Outcomes: Traditional goal setting can lead to excessive focus on results, potentially causing anxiety and stress. In this example athletes might comment “I have lost the love and joy in my sport”.
Narrow Focus: Specific goals may limit creativity and adaptability, narrowing one's perspective. Athletes might report feeling stale and that they have stagnated and become bored with the process, lacking spontaneity and freedom in their training.
Risk of Unrealistic Goals: Overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration and demotivation if they are unattainable. Athletes feel unmotivated, deflated and stuck in a rut, leading to critical, negative self-evaluation and rumination.
Undermining Intrinsic Motivation: External goals can overshadow intrinsic motivation, as they may be pursued for external rewards. Athletes lose touch with their healthier intrinsic motivations, become prone to perfectionism, compare themselves more to others and things outside of their influence.
Frustration and Demotivation: Repeated goal failures can lead to demotivation and frustration. Athletes might experience feelings of hopelessness, and lose confidence in their abilities.
Rigidity and Inflexibility: Long-term goals may not adapt to changing circumstances or new opportunities. Psychological flexibility is an important trait to develop as an athlete.
Risk of Burnout: Unrelenting goal pursuit can lead to burnout due to overexertion. Athletes forget to enjoy the process and the journey to reaching their goals.
Tunnel Vision: Goal fixation can lead to missing important contextual cues and opportunities. Athletes lose perspective and become one dimensional, lacking flexibility in evaluating one's performance.
Not Suitable for Everyone: Goal setting may not work equally well for all individuals, as motivations and learning styles vary.
In response to the above pitfalls with goal setting, I suggest using a flexible, process-oriented approach, that is regularly reviewed and adjusted accordingly. A number of goal setting approaches fit the above criteria and in honesty it probably has more to do with the application of the goal setting rather than following a specific approach.
My approach will thus vary depending on the athlete I am working with, their personal preferences and what is best suited to their current circumstances. In saying that and for the benefit of this article this is a common template that I will use.
I break it down into three main categories. Outcome, Performance and Process goals.
Outcome goals as the name suggests focuses on the end outcome. I encourage my athletes to dream big and think long-term with outcome goals.
“It's easy to overestimate what we can achieve in a single day and underestimate the impact of daily effort long term”
Examples:
Qualify for the Olympic team
Run Western States Endurance Run 100 miles
Run X time for X distance
Win a Championship
Outcome goals are big picture thinking, and can provide great overall direction, motivation and purpose, but they are often less within an athlete's direct control.
Performance Goals concentrate on personal improvement, based on an athlete's own abilities and typically involve some measurable metric. If done well Performance goals will be key targets that take us a step closer to our outcome goals. In this sense they should aim to build confidence and motivation.
Examples:
Hit a certain strength target in the gym
If your outcome goal is to run a sub 3 hour marathon, then your performance goal might be a sub 1:25 min half marathon in the build to your marathon “A” race
Make 5 tackles per game of football.
Process Goals are the smaller daily habits that lead to success in our Performance and Outcome goals. This is where we are best to focus most of our energy, these are the goals we have the most control over.
Examples:
Get to bed before 9:30 pm every night
Complete 10 minute daily mobility routine
Turn up to training prepared and 5 mins early every session
Complete my specific mental skills tasks each day
Prepare and set my training gear out the night before
I encourage my athletes to review Process goals regularly with their coaches to increase accountability and to make sure we’re staying focused and on track with what is most important. In our psychology sessions I will make a point to regularly check-in on our process goals. As healthy habits develop we can then add in new process goals that help us continue to move in a positive direction, one step closer to our bigger outcome goals.
Overall remember to keep this fun, this should be an exciting and motivating process. If you would like to receive a copy of the goal setting template I use, email me at luke@endureperformancepsychology.com and keep me updated with your progress.
Refrences
Yoon Hyuk Jeong, Laura Catherine Healy & Desmond McEwan (2021): The application of Goal Setting Theory to goal setting interventions in sport: a systematic review, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2021.1901298
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