Goal Setting – What’s the Big Deal?

Well, we are going out on a limb here…all of us already know what the big deal is about goal setting. If you don’t know where you are going two things will happen for certain: 1) you will not get there, 2) you will get lost. As we approach our first LC meet of the season we have stressed the importance of writing goals down. It helps focus. Practices become livelier. Stroke technique is being worked on.  We are always encouraging you to push into unfamiliar territory – to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, in terms of physical discomfort caused by exertion.

USA Swimming puts out a weekly newsletter for all members and the article below was in a recent one. We thought it hit the nail on the head in several ways. We hope you will enjoy it!

SEVEN REASONS PEOPLE DON’T SET GOALS AND HOW TO OVERCOME EACH OF THEM

by Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer, The Kevin Eikenberry Group

Talk to ten people and nine of them will tell you they believe in goal-setting. These nine people will tell you that goals are important, that they can help you be happier and healthier, and that they are the best and fastest way to achieve more in life.

I would agree with those nine people. Unfortunately eight of the nine, when pressed, will tell you they don’t set many (or any) goals; that they really want to, but….Actually, I’m being a bit optimistic here. I’ve read several times (through I can’t corroborate it with specific research right now) that only about 3% of people ever set and write down any goals. If most everyone thinks goals are important, and most everyone would like to be happier, healthier, achieve more, etc., etc., etc., why don’t they set goals?

There are seven reasons that I have observed.

1. People don’t know how to set goals.
2. People are searching for the perfect way to set goals.
3. People are afraid to set goals.
4. People are afraid to succeed.
5. People are afraid they won’t succeed.
6. People don’t want to set the goal too high.
7. People don’t want to set the goal too low.

After looking at and thinking more about this list, I believe they really are excuses for not setting goals, not reasons. Let’s look at each excuse, and then explore how to solve the problem and erase the excuse.

As you read the list this time, read them all with a whine in your voice, and look for which on the list is your personal excuse (there may be none—good for you; there may be more than one—good for you for being honest—now you have the opportunity to change your habit).

EXCUSE #1 “BUT I DON’’T KNOW HOW…..”
This makes sense in a way. How can we do anything if we don’t know how to do it? Maybe you really don’t know how, but to be honest the resources to help you learn are plentiful, and we aren’t talking rocket science here. There are thousands of books about goal-setting and hundreds of free resources on the internet. (Actually an Amazon.com search on goal setting nets more than 30,000 results, and a Google search on the same phrase yields more than 23 million results. Solution #1—Find a resource, read it and get started.

EXCUSE #2 “BUT I WANT TO SET THEM THE RIGHT WAY….”
This excuse is the opposite of Excuse #1. There are some people that collect goal-setting books, tools and techniques like others collect baseball cards. Yes, there are many approaches; and yes, some may be better than others or work better for you. But none of them will work until you do. Solution #2—Enough collecting! Pick an approach and get started.

EXCUSE #3 “BUT I’M AFRAID….”
Afraid of what? The unknown? There is nothing to be afraid of, except the unknown of trying. Recognizing your fear is a great first step, but setting goals isn’t like the unknown climbing Mt. Everest or swimming with sharks. There really is nothing to be afraid of (although there are two more excuses related to fear.) Solution #3—The best way to conquer a fear is to do the thing you fear. Set a goal. Start with a small, short-term one if you must, but just try it!

EXCUSE #4 “BUT I’M AFRAID I’LL SUCCEED….”
Actually, this excuse falls into a special category because people typically won’t really say it and might not even think it. But in reality, it may be the biggest and most powerful excuse of all. If you set a goal, you might achieve it, and in a paradoxical way, some people are afraid of the change that might come with that achievement. Or, in some other cases they don’t feel worthy of achieving it. Solution #4—Start with a small goal, one that will help you build your confidence and show you some success that you can manage. (If you have significant self-esteem issues that are preventing you from feeling worthy, I encourage you to get help.)

EXCUSE #5 “BUT I’M AFRAID I’LL FAIL…”
OK, so you may fail. If you set a goal to lose 20 pounds and you only lose 10 is that so bad? How many pounds would you have lost if you hadn’t set a goal at all? Repeat after me: “There is nothing wrong with failing. Failing is just a chance to make corrections before trying again.” Solution #5—Let go of your fear; just a little bit, just this once. Just set a goal.

EXCUSE #6 “BUT IF I SET THE GOAL TOO HIGH, I MIGHT NOT REACH IT…”
You hopefully can see that this is a combo-pack of Excuses 3 and 5 (and maybe a bit of #2 as well). If the goal is motivating to you, you will make progress. Maybe the goal is massive, and maybe you won’t reach it; but if you set it you will move in the right direction. Plus, imagine the big satisfaction of meeting-or even exceeding-that big goal. Solution #6—Set a big goal, and go for it!

EXCUSE #7 “BUT IF I SET THE GOAL TOO LOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE WORTH THE EFFORT.”
How can this be? If you set a goal and reach it, great! Then you can set another one, big or small. Just like anything else, with practice comes greater skill. Some of your goals may be easy to reach, and that is OK. Over time you will learn to calibrate the goals you set to be just right for you. Solution #7—Set a small goal and get started.

Have you noticed a theme in these solutions? Since you know goals can make your life better, set some. Set one or set fifty, but just get started. The best way to get to where you want to go is to decide what that destination is. The best way to start setting goals is to set one. (Yes, it is just that simple.)

Get started. Set a goal, even if it isn’t perfect. Set a goal, even if it’s too big or too small. Set a goal, and I’m guessing you already will have achieved one of your biggest goals

—”You know, I really ought to set some goals this year….”

ABCs OF MENTAL TRAINING: S IS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT

BY AIMEE KIMBALL, PHD//MENTAL TRAINING CONSULTANT

Stress is something that everyone will experience at some point in their lives. However, some stress is unavoidable or, at the very least, manageable. What I find is that many athletes have high levels of stress because they have never been taught ways to cope with or manage the events causing stress in their lives. This article will provide some quick tips to alleviating and avoid with stress.

Stress Isn’t Always Bad
It’s true. Stress can be a good thing. Think of a time when you were up all night working on a paper and were totally stressed out about whether you were going to complete it by class the next day. While you may have had the assignment for weeks, you procrastinated until the last minute. Thus, the stress of it being due tomorrow got you moving. Without that stress, you’d have put it off another day. Additionally, stress can help us to focus better. If you have a really important meet or test coming up, in the days preceding it, you probably do everything you can to make sure you are prepared. So while the event might cause some stress, this stress in turn enables you to be fully prepared. Ultimately, stress can be both positive and negative. It all depends on how you view it.

So What Is Stress?
We all can feel when we are stressed, but what causes those feelings is actually a result of our thinking. At its core, stress is basically the result of having a lot demanded of you yet you don’t think you have what it takes to meet those demands. (Demands > Resources = Stress)

For example, if you have an away meet, mid-term exams, and a family function all on the same day, you realize you have a lot of time demands on your shoulders. If you perceive there is no way you can accomplish everything you need to in 24 hours, you will perceive that you don’t have the resources (time) to do all of the things you need to, resulting in you being stressed. However, someone else with the same demands may acknowledge that they have time to study on the bus and that going to dinner with their family will provide a much needed study break. Because the second person believes they have the resources to handle the time demands, they experience less stress over the situation. Therefore, stress is a result of perceived demands and perceived resources.

Preventing and Managing Stress
Because stress is caused from our perception of demands and our perception of available resources, the first step in managing stress is to reexamine your resources (time, money, support, etc.) and the perceived demands. Whenever you perceive a demand as stressful, think about your most relaxed friend and ask yourself, “Would she/he be stressed over this?” If not, ask yourself why. If you still think the “demands” (which can really be anything) are potentially stressful, ask yourself what all you have available to help you cope. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and make sure your give yourself credit for being able to handle more than you think you can.

“To do” lists are also a necessary stress management technique, but there is a bit more to it than just listing everything you have to do. I suggest making note of both the time and energy required to get each of your tasks completed and doing the hardest ones first. Many people put off what they don’t want to do, but then it’s hanging over their head all week and creating stress just thinking about it. If you get the dreaded ones out of the way early, you may actually gain energy in knowing it’s completed. Additionally, some of your tasks may be good “floaters” and can be done at anytime. If you have 10 math problems to do, try to get two done before each class so you will have less homework that night.

One thing that causes people a lot of stress is unrealistic expectations, both of themselves as well as others. For example, if you don’t really get along with your coach and on a personality scale he’s a 3 out of 10 yet you expect him to interact with you like he’s an 8 or 9, you’re going to be stressed because you’ll always be disappointed, angry and frustrated. However, if he’s being hard on you and you realize that’s just who he is, it causes a lot less stress because you know what you’re in for and don’t expect much more from him. Therefore, if you align your expectations with reality you’ll be preventing stress.

Uncontrollable situations are also a major source of stress for many student-athletes. The stress prevention technique I like to help deal with these situations comes from the military. At West Point and other Army bases they teach their soldiers how to quickly assess stressful situations so they can act effectively and efficiently. Basically, they believe that a situation is either important or not and is either in your control or not. If it’s an important situation, you either need to fix it (if it’s in your control) or accept it (uncontrollable). If it’s not important, you either need to get rid of it (controllable) or ignore it (uncontrollable). So take a minute to list your stressors. If you don’t control it or it’s not important, cross it off your list. There’s no sense in worrying if you can’t do anything about it.

Finally, when it comes to preventing and managing your stress, make sure you have balance in your life. Think of all the things you do that drain energy from you on a daily basis. If you never stop to recharge yourself and replenish your energy, you will burnout. So every day make sure you take time to unwind and do something enjoyable to balance out any stressors you may have experienced.

Stress is a State of Mind
While there are things that will undoubtedly cause us stress, we can cope with the emotions by doing things like seeking out social support, keeping a journal, crying, laughing and exercising. However, the best way to manage stress is to prevent it by using some of the techniques mentioned above. Ultimately, we all experience stress in different ways but, one thing that stays constant is that most people are about as happy as they choose to be.

Dr. Aimee C. Kimball is the Director of Mental Training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Sports Medicine. She received a PhD from the University of Tennessee where she specialized in sport psychology.

She is an Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology Certified Consultant, and is a member of the American Psychological Association, the United States Olympic Committee’s Sport Psychology Registry, the USA Swimming Sports Medicine Network, and the NCAA Speakers Bureau.

As a Mental Training Consultant, Dr. Kimball has worked with professional, collegiate, high school, recreational, and youth athletes in a variety of sports, and assists the Pittsburgh Steelers in analyzing potential draft picks.

She has been a featured speaker at conferences across the nation and has appeared in Men’s Health Magazine, Runner’s World, Athletic Management Magazine, various local and national newspapers, and has appeared on ESPN, NPR, and news broadcasts across the country.

She is a Clinical Faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Orthopaedics and an adjunct faulty member in the Sports Marketing Department at Duquesne University. Currently, Dr. Kimball works with athletes and other performers to assist them in achieving success in sport and life. For more information contact: 412-432-3777; kimballac@upmc.edu

Are You the One?

Posted by Glenn Mills on Mar 25, 2011 07:22AM (0 views)

Obviously, this article isn't for everyone, but the ideals can be applied BY anyone.  I'm writing this to remind those individuals who talk about being the best, or reaching their potential, but who don't really get it.

In each heading listed below, there is someone who IS... and the rest who AREN'T.  Can you be the ONE?  Chances are slim, and that's understandable, but the question is... how close are you to being the one?

Hard Worker

Somewhere in your city, your state, country, or planet, is there someone working harder than you?  Think about it... If you're goal is to be the best at anything, then you better start realizing that there is a very real relationship between work and reward and there is probably somebody out there working harder.  Do you do dry land training, and if so, do you use that as an opportunity to joke around with your friends or do you try to figure out how THAT particular exercise is going to make you a better swimmer?  The next time you watch Ryan Lochte win a race, and you wish... boy, I wish I was that good... remember the video posted below.

Desire

Do you have more desire to win than anyone?  Are you willing to set your alarm 10 minutes earlier so you can get to practice on time because you're nervous about missing a chance to do as much as possible?  The way you train should be the way you want to perform.  Be honest with yourself about this one, if you don't have the desire to train, then you really don't have the desire to be the best.  You can NOT have one without the other.  You may day dream about being the best, but without the effort that matches the dream... then it is what it is... fantasy.

Talent

Are you the most talented swimmer in the water?  In your event, are there people, or a person that you'll eventually have to race who simply has more talent than you?  If you're the one, and you don't apply the first two aspects of this article, it won't matter if you ARE the most talented.  While talent is important, talent in itself is worthless without polish.  Is Michael Phelps talented?  I know, stupid question,  he would be a good swimmer without doing anything at all, he was one of the lucky ones to be born with the feeling, but without years of what you see in the following video, he would have never rewritten the history of the sport.

Attitude

No matter how nice someone appears, the ONE has a killer attitude inside, and won't give up when things don't go their way, or when the road gets tough.  You don't have to be a jerk outwardly to maintain the attitude that creates greatness, and the question is, do you have the attitude geared to greatness.  Attitude is more than about smiles, thinking positively, and trying hard.  Attitude is about talking yourself into doing what you need to do when you don't feel like doing it.  When it would be far easier to stop, skip, take a few strokes with your arms during a kick set when your legs hurt a bit.  Attitude is about doing just a little bit more than you wanted to.  Want to know why Amanda Beard keeps making Olympic and World Championships teams when after getting married, having a beautiful son that she wants to spend time with... It's because when she gets the opportunity to train, she trains like the video below.  Can you beat that attitude of not giving up?

Honesty

Are you the ONE that's the most honest about all of the above, about how much you really commit to your sport?  While you may not want to be the best, or may not believe you have the ability to be the best, since there can be only ONE, are you honest about being your own ONE?  Are you honestly doing all you can to maximize your performance?  Are the choices you make about how you spend your time productive ones, or are you failing in your time management?  Reaching your potential means keeping up with your studies so you don't have to cram for your exams.  It means deciding to not go to parties when you know you have a competition approaching, or morning practice that you know you shouldn't miss.  Honesty is about not making up excuses that you think your coach will "buy", but rather, about making sure you put in as much effort to be at practice on time as your coach does.

This last video is obviously very special to me, as it served as much motivation when it happened.  It's both hard to watch, and completely exciting to watch.  This 2 minute video doesn't show the complete dedication and effort that went into this team becoming the ONE.  It was ultimately a spec in time in these athlete's lives now that they're older... but that moment will last forever.  

The last question for this is... can you become you own ONE, or are you simply day dreaming?

Are You the One? - GoSwim!