A structured plan for success as a young athlete will help you create a more disciplined work ethic. Knowing how to set and achieve athletic goals can increase productivity, help you stay motivated, use your time wisely, and prioritize your most important tasks. Here are steps on how to set and achieve your athletic goals!
Deciding Why You Want to Improve
Finding your drive
What is your drive to exercise and push your body to its limits? If you play soccer, your “why” to improve might be to make varsity for your high school team or eventually play at the collegiate level. Without a “why,” finding the motivation to achieve your overall dream is difficult. Understanding your purpose helps fuel your commitment and perseverance.
Setting Realistic Goals
It is crucial to identify what you want to achieve when setting goals. For example, if I, as a basketball player, can make five threes in a minute and my goal is to make 25 three-point shots in a minute, that is nearly impossible for anyone to do. Setting realistic, attainable goals ensures you stay motivated and avoid unnecessary frustration. Writing down your goal makes it tangible and creates a sense of accountability.
Creating a Time Frame for Your Goals
As an athlete, deciding how long you want to achieve your goal is important. An overall timeline could be your summer break or winter break. Having a clear deadline helps you stay focused and provides a sense of urgency, ensuring that you maintain steady progress toward your objective.
Breaking Down the Goal
Creating small milestones can give you mini-accomplishments and the feeling of success. If you have a large goal that can take months to accomplish, setting small goals can make the task less daunting. For example, if I can run a 6:30 mile now and want to be able to run a 6:00 mile by the end of the summer, a small goal could be to run a 6:20 mile in two weeks. The ten-second decrease in time seems less intimidating than dropping 30 seconds. These small victories keep you motivated and provide a roadmap to achieving your larger goal.
Visualizing Your Schedule
A weekly visual plan can make it easier to stick to a schedule and hold yourself accountable. This can also help you mentally. If you write out a weekly plan before starting the week, you do not have to wake up in the morning to figure out how you will work out and improve that day. Most times, without a plan, you do not push yourself as hard as you would like, and time tends to go by with less progress than with a schedule. A clear, written plan keeps you organized and focused.
Taking Action and Holding Yourself Accountable
Once you have a plan, it is time to get to work. Not every day will be easy, but in the end, the success you will reach will be worth it. To hold yourself accountable, ask a friend, a sibling, or a parent to ask you every week about what workouts you have completed. You might even be able to find a peer to work out with you. I always find it easier and more fun to train with a friend! Having someone to share your journey with can provide additional motivation and support.
Creating and following a structured plan is essential to set and achieve athletic goals. By deciding why you want to improve, setting attainable goals, creating a timeline, breaking down your goals, writing a weekly plan, and holding yourself accountable, you can stay motivated and disciplined. Remember, the journey may be challenging, but the success and personal growth you achieve will make it all worthwhile.
To put your plan into action, start training with a private sports coach who can help you achieve your goals. Athletes Untapped makes it easy to find local, vetted private sports coaches across basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, lacrosse, and most sports you can imagine. Find a private trainer on our site and hone your craft through personal or small group lessons today:
