Many people set goals and do everything in their power to stick with them, only to see themselves lose motivation after several weeks at the first sign of difficulty. One often forgotten element of the goal-setting process is to make goals measurable. Sport psychologists, Robert Weinberg and Daniel Gould, assert that effective goals should be S.M.A.R.T., that is Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Timely. This acronym is a helpful tool to remember the value of clearly defined, measurable goals.
Step 1
Set an effective goal. Sport psychologists Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke illustrate that there are process and outcome goals. Process goals are simple, self-determined steps which ultimately lead to outcome goals. Outcome goals are the desirable end-results of goal-setting. An outcome goal might be winning a national championship, while a process goal might be mastering one's defensive technique. Therefore, start with an outcome goal--the dream goal you would ultimately like to accomplish. Then, write down three to five process goals that will help you get there.
Step 2
Once you have three to five process goals, set specific times you would like to achieve them. For example, if your outcome goal is to lose 5 lbs., and one of your process goals is to exercise 30 minutes daily, set a date in which you would like to be exercising that much. Remember to make these process goals as specific as possible, and they should all be measurable in some way. For example, don't say "I want to exercise more." Instead, say "I will exercise 30 minutes per day, four days per week for the entire month of April."
Step 3
Now that you have three to five process goals, and specific dates for which you would like to achieve them, you can measure your goals. If your outcome goal was to lose 5 lbs., and one of your process goals was to exercise 30 minutes per day, four days per week for the entire month of April, record whether you were able to stick with it. Just as important, record the reasons why or why not. If you achieved your goal, great. You're on your way to your outcome goal. If not, don't worry. Goals must be flexible and attainable. There is nothing wrong with setting a slightly easier goal next time around. Burton reports that goals should be moderately challenging, but not so difficult that they seem impossible.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember to set an outcome goal, followed by three to five process goals. The process goals are the real key. If you focus primarily on achieving the process goals, the outcomes will take care of themselves. Further, to measure goals, goals must actually be measurable. Therefore, all goals must be accompanied by some sort of number.
- Don't only focus on outcome goals--those dream goals that you would love to achieve in an ideal world. This is how most people lose their bearings and abandon the goal-setting process. Sport psychologists refer to this as "outcome world." Outcome goals serve to strictly motivate, but they don't provide information on how to actually achieve a goal.
References
- "Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology"; Robert S. Weinberg and Daniel Gould; 2007
- "Sport Psychology for Coaches"; Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke; 2008
- "Sport Psychology Mental Training Manual"; United States Olympic Committee; 2002
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