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I bet we can all agree that 2020 has been a challenging year that’s full of twists and turns! A lot of plans and personal dealings were placed on hold due to the infamous Coronavirus. brought anxiety, fear, and stress especially if you’re an athlete. Human interaction and doing physical activities outside have been a huge part of our daily life. We did not expect how things would turn out. What a year right? This 2021, we want to start the year with hope! We need to have a fresh mindset, move on from the things that we lost and plan how our year will run! I know that some of us find it hard to establish the right and measurable objectives because it’s tricky, but don’t worry, we got your back! Check out this list if you need help in planning your athletic goals!
1. Create a Measurable Objective
Creating an objective for yourself and your team is like creating a map for your desired destination. If you truly want to go somewhere, you have to plan your path. So what does it take to create a strong and measurable objective? It has to SMART.
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound)
Specific: The more specific and focused your goals are, the clearer your target is. You and your team should answer who, what, where, and why.
Measurable: If you can’t measure progress, how will you know if you’re meeting your goal? Help your team set goals that are measurable with clear metrics and milestones for tracking progress and defining success.
Attainable: It’s always good to aim high, but make sure you and your team are being realistic in your goals. Do they have the tools and resources to make it happen? Is the timeframe reasonable? Reaching for unachievable goals is a great way to discourage and disengage the team members when they fail. So make sure they set objectives that stretch them without breaking them.
Relevant: Goals should align with broader team and objectives. Help your team members understand those priorities so they can hone in on goals that make sense for them.
Time-bound: Goals without a deadline kill performance. Time constraints can help drive your athletes' determination because they create a sense of urgency. However, too much time can slow performance, and too little time can lead to burnout from overworking or giving up altogether. Help your members set fair and realistic timeframes for achieving their goals.
2. Organize You Short and Long Term Goals
Before you plan your long-term goal, you need to achieve a series of short-term objectives. This way, you can track your path and you can precisely identify your progress together with the areas that need improvement. For example, your team needs to polish a routine for your competition, in order to achieve that, you have to complete and practice some stunts that will help you have a flawless performance. Bodybuilding.com posted a blog especially to help athletes in organizing long and short term goals. Click the link below to start your journey!
<How Should an Athlete Set Goals for Their Sport www.bodybuilding.com/fun/a_totw16.htm>
3. Track Your Progress
Revisit your goals and list all the little things that you’ve accomplished. Sometimes, we tend to think that we are too far from achieving our plans but if you keep track of all the little things that you’ve done, you’ll realize that you’re close. Celebrate your small victories and push yourself a little more. For example, If you are practicing your backflip, tell yourself that you can do it! Practice your body control, and check your progress because doing a full backflip can’t be done overnight. Check out this blog from Max Deutsch on how he managed to land his backflip within one month of practice.
<Month to Monster: How I landed my first backflip within one month of practicehttps://medium.com/@maxdeutsch/i-challenged-myself-to-land-my-first-backflip-within-one-month-of-practice-heres-what-happened-b2c246a5945f>
4. Get Moving!
Moving your body will not only to with your blood flow circulation. It also helps you focus while your body is in action. Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration. It also enhances overall cognitive function. Starting your day with a proper workout routine that is helpful for your energy and practice. If you’re an athlete, working out is essential to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. To know more about light exercises that you can try at home, click the link below.
<20 Morning Exercises That You Can Do At Home:https://blog.decathlon.in/articles/20-morning-exercises-that-you-can-do-at-home >
5. Learn when to take a pause and Reward yourself.
Appreciate yourself and your team from working hard. Give yourself a nice treat like a massage, or buy something nice for yourself, celebrate your small victories. You don’t want to overwork yourself and get tired. Take a deep breath, pause and pat yourself on the back for your strong efforts. It is also a great mental exercise to motivate yourself. To know more about its psychological effect in athletes kindly visit the link below.
<Motivation in Sports Psychology:www.peakendurancesport.com/endurance-psychology/coping-with-emotions/motivation-sports-psychology/ >
All of us are given the same 24 hours every day, but what separates productive and successful people from those who are not so successful is their way of how they spend.
We survived the toughness of 2020 so we deserve to have a great year ahead of us. All of us are excited to go back to our regular routine. We all miss human connection, and we miss hanging out with our team! With that being said, we need to stay safe. Try to worry less and try not to overwork yourself. It’s good to prepare for any upcoming performance and competitions but your mental health and body condition is also important. You don't want to injure yourself and miss out. Let’s be hopeful that we will get to enjoy and participate in the sport that we love. Appreciate the little things around you and, don’t forget to enjoy the long road that you have chosen to travel. Trust yourself and remember that your efforts will not betray you because you are meant for greater and bigger things ahead!