Whether you play in a team, as an individual or are just trying to improve your fitness you may be interested in these sport goal setting tips.
--Decide on a long term goal. It should have a timeframe of at least one year. Maybe it will be to reach a certain number of yards if you play football, to beat a certain time if you are a runner, or to reach a certain weight if you are trying to lose weight. Make sure that its a goal that you would feel great about achieving.
--Don't make the goal too easy or hard. Aim for about a 60-70% chance of success. The goal should be personal and shouldn't rely too much on your team mates. For example a goal to win the finals for a team sport may be hard to achieve no matter how much you improve individually.
--Write your goal down and put it somewhere where you can see it everyday.
--Break it down. Plan out how you can achieve the goal and determine any sub-goals that comprise your long term goal.
--Use deadlines for your goal and its subgoals. For example "I will run X distance by X date"
--Measure your progress daily or weekly. If for example you are trying to lose weight then you should record your weight on a graph that shows your target weight to see your progress that you are making and to motivate you to keep going.
--Plan rewards. Whenever you hit a milestone on the way to your goal give yourself a reward for all of your hard work and to increase your motivation.
--Tell your team mates about your goal. They will give you support and keep you accountable for the goal's success.
--Visualize. Whenever you get overwhelmed or need motivation remind yourself why you set the goal in the first place. Think how happy you will be when you are successful. Always remember that anything is possible if you break it down into enough small steps. What small step can you take today that will take you closer to success? This brings me to my next point.
