RUNNERS RUNNERS
CHASING THE FINISH LINE
I never wanted to settle with just being okay, just being good. I want to make sure that when I leave this sport, that I put everything on the table and that I accomplished everything that I was called to do.
- Shacarri Richardson
Goal setting is the secret sauce to an athlete’s performance! Think about it like New Years Resolutions: We’ve all tasted sweet victory when hitting our goals But let's be real: we also face the reality that comes three weeks into January and those goals are way behind us It may come as a surprise but many athletes don’t set goals. Well crafted goals do more than set targets- they ignite the athletes inner potential With some clever hacks for setting goals, you can unleash the benefits and your full potential! So, let's dive into the exciting world of goal setting!
Bite-sized Dreams
Success on the track is all about progress- step by step. Breaking down your big dreams into bite-sized tasks, makes them easier to tackle Think of it this way: It is much easier to tackle 100m sprints than focusing on accomplishing a big race Remember, prioritizing smaller milestonesimproving your start or increasing your endurance- will make reaching those big goals more achievable.
Not just about the outcome!
When it comes to setting goals, we tend to think of the end result like winning a race or setting the best time at a race However, setting outcome goals alone is not enough! Its all in the process.
Such goals are largely out of our control. What can you control? HOW you perform. Think of performance goals as the roadmap to your success, giving you valuable feedback along the road to those big outcome goals! Focus on setting performance-based goalsincreasing your speed, building your mental toughness are examples of micro-goals that will help you improve and keep you motivated on the track! Both outcome and process goals create a powerful dynamic duo that will keep you on track for success!
“This investment can end up being the difference between success and failure”
Dr. Chris Stankovich, “The Sports Doc”, a licensed professional athletic counselor and professor of sport psychology, suggests that the secret to successful goal setting in athletes lies in the “sense and level of control associated with the goals being set”. When it comes to track athletes, curating process goals is an essential step in the goal-setting process and one that should not be ignored!
“Developing process goals is a big part of the equation”
Dr Chris Stankovich
Building Blocks of Success: Why Process Goals Matter
It's easy for track athletes to become consumed and obsess over the final outcome. But what many don’t realize is that by focusing solely on the end result, can start to affect your mental health drastically, leading to potentially feeling overwhelmed and even burnout That’s where process goals come in Process goals focus on milestones that are entirely within your control, which differs from outcome goals Unlike outcome goals, which focus on the bigger picture, like winning a raceprocess goals help you build habits that lead to long term success. Outcome goals are centered on the end result, which can be motivating for an individual.
Prioritize to Succeed
As a track athlete, part of reaching your goals is to understand your core values- your “why” behind why you have certain end goals in mind By genuinely reflecting on these values it can help you align your goals and what matters to you, this way you are able to keep yourself focused. Once you are able to identify your core values, the next step after is to identify your priorities. Since you now have a clearer picture as to what matters more, you can decide on which actions or small goals you should prioritize much more easily These priorities can be affected by your mental/physical health and can sometimes require you to make sacrifices By aligning your goals with your core values, it will allow you to put more meaningful effort into your goal setting and help you stay committed Success is rarely a straight line Focusing on the process is key to achieving long-term progress
But are more difficult to achieve as you are not in control of them , meaning that any unforeseen circumstance can arise causing you to stray further from your goal. By sticking to process goals you can build consistent habits that lead to long term success. For example if you wanted to increase your endurance, set a goal to run at least 2 times a week for 30 minutes.
REFERENCES
Nonamey, (2024 October 8) Thinking Outside the Box Redbulletin 22
Stankovich, C, MD. (2016, November 16) Learn the Secret to Successful Goal Setting. Advance Human Performance Systems https://drstankovich com/learn-the-secret-tosuccessful-goal-setting/
Rodriguez, Chelsea. (2024, November 24) Goal Setting Module. California State UniversityFullerton.
https://csufullerton instructure com/courses/3456828/pages/module-7-overview-and-todo-list?module item id=84261279
Hill, L (2021) Linking physical activity and mental health: Implications for practice and policy. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 849075. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.849075