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Personal Best

Achieving your goalsJessica Pinchbeck and

Caroline Heaney,

Dept. of Childhood, Youth &

Sport, The Open University

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What is goal setting?

• Most people naturally set themselves goals or targets to achieve- I want to pass my course- I want to lose weight- New Years resolutions!

• Do these provide direction and

motivation?

• Effective goal setting involves setting the right goals at the right time

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Types of Goals

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Short and Long term Goals

• Both long and short term goals should be set

• Research demonstrates both are important

• Focusing only on long term goals does not improve performance

• Typically a progression of short term goals lead to the long term goal

Long term goal

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Does goal setting work?• Yes!• Researchers found the following factors most

consistently enhance the effectiveness of goal setting in sport and exercise environments- Goals of moderate difficulty- Both short and long term goals- Presence of feedback on progress towards goal- Specificity of goals- Public acknowledgement of goals- Commitment to goal attainment- Participant's input in the goal setting process- Using combination of different goals

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Why does goal setting work?

• Indirect thought process view- Goals influence

behaviour indirectly by affecting important psychological factors such as anxiety and confidence

• Direct mechanistic view- Goals direct attention- Mobilise effort- Increase persistence- Encourage strategy

development(Locke and Latham, 1985)

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How to set effective goals

• Specific • Measurable• Action orientated• Realistic• Timely• Self determined

(Smith, 1994)

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Common problems in goal setting

• Failing to set specific goals• Setting too many goals• Failing to adjust goals• Not considering individual differences• Not evaluating goals

• These can all be prevented or minimised by following the SMARTS technique.

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Dealing with setbacks

• Life can often be like a game of snakes and ladders!

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Now it’s your turn to set some goals!

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Stage 1 of goal setting:Self-awarenessBefore you can set yourself goals you need to

develop your self-awareness.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

• How can I become a better XXXXX?

• Am I aware of my strengths & weaknesses?

• Am I reminding myself of my strengths?

• Am I doing anything to strengthen my weaknesses?

Performance profiling can help

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Goal Setting Task

1. Self-Awareness: Complete the performance profiling sheet – What do you need to improve?

2. Set yourself some appropriate goals – What are you going to achieve? How? When?

3. Potential barriers & strategies – What might obstruct you? How can you overcome potential barriers?

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Any questions?