Sticking to goals can be really tough. Here we look at winning mindsets to set you up for success!
Ok we’re at the end of January and you’re probably starting to get tempted to give up on your New Year goals in case you haven’t already. Well hopefully not! Almost half the population will set a New Year’s resolution, of these 43% of those resolutions will include exercising more. About 75% will keep going for week 1, but by just the end of January only 50% will be still trying to follow their goal, and less than 10% will see it through to the end. However, by just setting a resolution in the first place, means you are more likely to succeed than if you hadn’t even set one. So, if you are reading this and you set a new year’s resolution you are already ahead of the game. Hang in there!
Why people fail
As a coach and mountain instructor I know intuitively that our battles are lost and won in our mind. Set your mindset correctly and you will achieve the goal. Let’s look at why most people fail.
- Not being patient – expecting the result in an instant
- Not having an accountability structure
- Not focussing on the process, just the outcome
- Not believing in yourself – an unconscious fear of succeeding
- Not enjoying the process
- Overthinking it
- Not scheduling in the process
- Not tracking your progress
- Understanding why you want to achieve the goal
The positive psychology
As detailed in the Nine Mental Skills to be a successful athlete there are some keyways to combat our natural inclination to undermine our outcomes by training our mind. Let’s look at common good qualities in which successful athletes approach goals and set their mindset for achieving those goals.
Attitude
The first step is realising that attitude is a choice. By choosing to think positively you will alter your attitude. Successful athletes view sport as an opportunity to compete against themselves and learn from their successes and failures. Often we take failures as the end point in our journey, but in reality it’s a really useful part of the journey. See, it really is all about the attitude. Another trap to avoid is the pursuit of perfection over excellence. No one is perfect. Similarly, recognise others that are helping us on that journey aren’t perfect either, that way you are not setting yourself up to fail. Finally, make sure you have a healthy balance between sport and life, although for most of us, life usually gets in the way of sport! On that note, remember Fridays are a day of temptation! Most of us drop a good habit on a Friday temptation.
Motivation
Motivation is such a key aspect to success. Motivation is something that requires work, as for most of us it’s a feeling we need to nurture and support, so we have tools to boost our levels of motivation when they are low. Knowing your ‘why’, your ultimate driver to that goal and reminding yourself of how good it will feel to cross that line, is a great way of resetting your motivational mindset. Tips to success here are being able to push on through those difficult times, when there are no immediate rewards for the efforts and also noting that participation and process are rewarding in themselves, that way you avoid hanging all your emotions on just the outcome.
Goals and Commitment
As I’ve mentioned in other articles. Goals should be realistic, measurable, and time-oriented. There should also be goals for the short, medium and long-term. That way you are creating a journey where no single goal will make or break you. In order to do this, you need to take an honest look at yourself and where you are, then commit to the program! Skipping training will increase the chances of missing the goal, so once again commit and focus on the process.
People Skills
We cannot achieve these goals on our own. We need family, friends, coaches, team mates, pets and everyone else who is part of a support network. Be honest with those close to you, and get them to engage in your goal, to create a sense of accountability. Remember to nurture those relationships and thank them for their otherwise thankless support!
Self-Talk
Being honest with yourself is important but so is giving yourself a quick pep talk. Developing a personal mantra is great. “I’ve got this” and every other permutation, especially if personal and links back to your ‘why’ will spike your adrenaline and feed back into your positive attitude.
Mental Imagery
This is probably one of the tips we are less familiar with, but mental imagery has been proven to help. Imagine yourself ‘Hollywood style’ crossing the finish line, making the cut-off or celebrating with family. Similarly imagining the tough bits and how you are going to successfully negotiate them will really help.
Dealing Effectively with Anxiety
Anxiety is as part of sport. Everyone gets stressed. In fact some degree of it improves performance but too much will affect sleep, eating, recovery and training. Develop ways to give yourself space from anxiety. Breathing exercises are great, particularly yoga. Create time to not think about the stress and know that you can never do everything, as we are all human and it’s only that we try to do our best with what we can. That is enough.
Dealing Effectively with Emotions
By investing in a goal, it’s natural to become emotionally invested too. I would be worried if you weren’t! As with anxiety control and channel them.
Concentration
The cleverest people without focus will achieve very little, the same with sport. ‘Staying present’ and remaining focussed will keep you dynamically adjusting for the now. It’s easy to drift onto your own world when training and racing, but know there is also a time when you need to be in the now!
How to set yourself up for success
Let’s bring that all together into a 12 point recipe for your personal success and maintaining that journey towards your goal.
- Identify a specific, measurable and achievable goal
- Plan the process to achieving it
- Get support – Run with friends, group, club, join a Run the Wild event!
- Invest in your kit – Dress warm, appropriate for the weather – layers, invest in your kit
- Reward your run
- Start small
- Set micro goals that lead towards the main effort
- Commit to an event
- Adapt your plan and strategy to keep you on track
- Keep it interesting – mix up your training (add in strength and conditioning)
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
- Watch out for Fridays!
We recommend printing this above list off and sticking it on your mirror, fridge, front door or wherever you will see it daily. Let it become your mantra and you too will achieve whatever you set your sights on!
