Introduction to Sports Psychology 
Deciding Goals
Goal Setting
Goal setting is a hugely powerful technique that can yield strong returns in all areas of your life.At its simplest level the process of setting goals and targets allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on and improve, and what is merely a distraction. Goal setting gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievementof those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a longpointless grind.
By setting goals you can:
- Achieve more
- Improve performance
- Improve the quality of your training
- Increase your motivation to achieve
- Increases your pride and satisfaction in your performance
- Improve your self-confidence
Research (Damon Burton, 1983) has shown that people who use goal-settingeffectively:
- suffer less from stress and anxiety
- concentrate better
- show more self-confidence
- perform better
- are happier with their performances
Goal Setting Helps Self-Confidence
By setting goals, and measuring their achievement, you are able to see what you havedone and what you are capable of. The process of achieving goals and seeing theirachievement gives you the confidence and self-belief that you need that you will be ableto achieve higher and more difficult goals.Providing that you have the self-discipline to carry it through, goal setting is also relatively easy.The following section on goal setting will give you effective guidelines to help you to use this technique effectively.
