Setting Goals by Dan Bernardin

With the off-season upon us it is an important time to reflect on the season just passed and set your goals for the season to come. When reflecting you should revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the season. Did you achieve what you set out to achieve, if not why not, if you did, what were the key factors that built the stepping-stones to your success. This is not a time to be harsh on yourself but a time to grow and learn more about yourself and the environment you work in. You must remember how unpredictable not only football is but life also, and with that in mind achieving your goals won’t always be a linear process but one that is up and down. However, there are systems and processes you can use to improve your chances of achieving your goals reducing the ups and downs. To read more visit our blog by clicking on the link below.
When setting your goals for the season it is important not to set too many, I usually stick with just three. Next it is important to break these goals down into quarters, so you have 12-week goals that are reviewed at the end of each 12-week block but also at the end of each day (this is where the five minute journal is applicable as mentioned in the previous Five on Friday Newsletter). This is so that you don’t set a goal that is so large you can’t see what is needed to do on a daily basis to achieve that goal. The key to achieving your goals is the daily tasks you undertake in the direction of your goals. As Seth Godin says “drip, drip, drip, things get done”. Now it is also important to reduce anxiety around achieving your goals especially on a daily basis, here is a clip from Tim Ferris explaining how making your goals really simply will reap the largest rewards.

Now although Tim talks about writing in this interview we can translate the principles into football. One of your goals might be to improve your left foot, perform 25 left footed strikes twice a week. It might be to improve your game understanding within your position therefore, watch a different world-class player in your position for 10mins everyday. You get the idea!
Now think clearly about what it is you want to achieve, write it down, set out a daily process, execute, review daily and every 12 weeks.