Goal Setting

By setting goals you can: Take up an activity or activities Help you to focus on what you need to do to improve and ignore distractions Improve your training Increase your motivation Improve your performance Achieve more Increase your pride and satisfaction

Achieving goals When you achieve a goal give yourself a pat on the back Plan to achieve even higher goals Make your next goal harder

Failing to achieve a goal Learn from it! Why was this? Not trying hard enough Poor technique Unrealistic goals Use this information to adjust future goals (perfect new skills, improve fitness etc)

Failing to achieve a goal Turn this into a positive learning experience – use what you learn from failing to achieve a goal as a step towards future success!

Effective goal setting Short term goals  Medium term goals  Longer term goal  Increase motivation by splitting long term goals into stages Improve defensive strategies Win more games away from home Win the league

SMARTER goal setting Specific – clear unambiguous goals are more likely to be attained Measurable – important for monitoring and makes you accountable Agreed – sharing your goals (eg with your coach) can give a sense of teamwork Realistic – motivation will be increased if goals are seen to be reachable Timed – if you don’t achieve your goal within a set time frame, adjust your goals Exciting – make the process enjoyable, increases motivation Recorded – monitor progress, once achieved tick it off the list, helps motivation

Evaluation of goal setting Goals must be clearly defined and evaluation must take place if progress is to be made and performance improved or participation increased Evaluation can only take place if goals are measurable This is easier with sports and physical activities that involve objective measurements such as times The measurement of goals informs about success, in itself a motivating factor, and provides information for setting future goals

People involved in physical activity need to know how they are progressing. Feedback is essential to maintain enthusiasm and commitment (motivation) For someone who is trying to keep fit positive feedback is crucial in encouraging them to keep going

p.22/23 in text book Q1. Why has there been a sharp decline in gym membership, 54,000 fewer from 2002 – 2007? Q2. Why have gyms not been very successful in getting people fit? Q3. how would you go about persuading someone who was a ‘reluctant exerciser’ to improve their fitness?