ARE RESULTS BASED ON GOALS BAD

by Derek Morgan

Well, like many things in life, it depends…Here is one definition of a Goal:

the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.

It is this focus on ‘desired result’ where things get tricky. We work with Student-Athletes, who have their hearts set on a big prize. The result if achieved, is life changing, however it is a very clear Goal with a lot of unclear variables outside of the student-athlete’s control.

What if the ‘Result’ is not achieved, what then?

“Who you become as a result of the chase Is the most important thing.” - Dr Jim Loehr

The challenge with focusing too heavily on ‘Results’ based goals (the outcome), is that there can be so many variables outside of your control that impact on an athlete’s ability to reach a specific result. If that athlete’s identity becomes tied to the results, then the impact of missing a Goal creates pressure and self-doubt. Also, the act of setting a Goal can bring its own pressures.

As an example, I spoke to the parent of a swimmer who was on target to make a Commonwealth Games team. There was a clear result Goal of hitting a qualifying time to make the team. The swimmer hit the time, only to find out that they were not included in the team because there was a lastminute change to the number of swimmers to be taken and this swimmer was the lowest qualifier.

Whilst bitterly disappointing for the athlete, fortunately this did not derail the athlete because their identity was anchored in their work ethic and performance, not the team selection.

In his book ‘What Drives Winning’, Brett Ledbetter talks about the three phases of his relationship with goals over a 15-year period.

The 3 phases were;

1. I love goals

2. I hate goals

3. I understand goals

Brett talks about the initial excitement of setting and achieving goals, this was the love stage. As he advanced as an athlete and other people’s expectations started to influence his goal setting and add to the pressure, this became the hate phase of goal setting.

The understanding phase of goal setting came when he understood how to handle the pressures associated with goal setting and turn that pressure to his advantage.

This brings us to the Internal and External pressure felt by Student- Athletes…

From our perspective working with Student-Athletes, it becomes critically important for them to focus on the Process rather than the outcome. These teenagers are chasing a Goal with a huge number of variables outside of their control and very short odds of success due to the high level of competition for sports scholarship positions.

Planning

To help them manage the internal and external pressures that come with setting Big Goals, we get them to follow this simple three-stage goal setting process:

• Identify the Goal and Timeline

• Establish the Process or Game Plan that needs to be followed

• Focus on the Habits that need to be created to execute on the Process

We position this as a simple formula for the Student-Athlete to start the process of beginning with the end in mind:

Goal Achievement = Process x Habits

As they go through the Goal Setting Process, the intention is to get the Student-Athlete to look at their frame of reference around the Goal. This is where the concept of the ‘value is in the journey’ helps redefine success along the way.

Having established the external goal that is giving the student-athlete something to chase, the next stage is to look at the Internal Goals of who you become as part of the journey.

This is achieved by focusing on the importance of the ‘Process’ that needs to be followed to achieve the Goal. The Process itself then generates a different set of milestones that create wins for the athlete on their journey.

Having established the Process, the next critical stage is the Habits. It is the action stage of doing the right things deliberately and consistently that ensure the Process is executed and results follow.

In The Process

The reality of the pursuit of a sports scholarship (as with professional sports contracts) is that maybe 2% of student-athletes will get offered a sports scholarship.

These odds should not deter athletes from pursuing the prize, however the Process can be challenging and places their academic and sporting ability under a microscope in a highly competitive environment.

Managing the internal pressure then becomes mission critical for these young athletes who can start to question their abilities against a set of incredibly high standards.

By measuring success based on the journey and what the athlete learns and improves on along the way will make all the difference to their mindset if they ultimately find themselves among the many who spend years chasing a dream that does not come true.

Managing Identity and Self-Confidence

As coaches and mentors (including parents) the challenge is to maintain the athlete’s emotional wellbeing and personal development through what is a roller coaster process. This is where the importance of building resilience, managing expectations and dealing with the fall out of disappointment comes in.

Mentors and coaches (including parents and their attitudes) become so important to the process.

In this ‘always on and connected’ modern world of instant gratification and entitlement attitudes, it is mission critical to develop Growth Mindsets in young athletes, where they anchor their identity to the Process and Effort, not the outcome.

If the athlete falls in to a Fixed Mindset mentality where their identity is linked to their performance, then the impact of missing Result based Goals can completely undermine the athlete’s confidence, sense of identity and future performance.

In severe cases it can diminish their willingness to extend themselves or even end their sporting ambitions.

A Goal is so much more than an end result