Last week, I talked about Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence by Gary Mack with David Casstevens. I discussed a chapter that promotes enjoying the competitive experience as a way to perform better.
Another chapter has a Carl Lewis quote at the beginning that keeps everything in perspective:
It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.
To make the most of the journey, sports psychology consultant Gary Mack encourages athletes to use goals as
a way of bringing the future into the present so you can take action now. Goals improve performance. Goals improve the quality of practices. They clarify expectations and help increase self-confidence by seeing yourself get better. . . . goals also increase the motivation to achieve.
To set the most productive goals, Mack suggests using the acronym SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals. SMART goals are used in many areas, although the represented words may vary slightly. Mack encourages athletes to set daily or short-term goals and reach long-term goals by breaking them down into steps. He says:
Inch by inch it’s a cinch.
Have you experienced that “it’s all about the journey, not the outcome”? What are your thoughts on SMART goals?
Photo Credit: Photo by Manoj Vasanth at http://www.flickr.com/photos/manojvasanth/4398294280/
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