Top golfers use ‘stepping stones’ !
Watching BBC Breakfast over my toast and coffee the other morning, the program switched into sports mode with an interview with Justin Rose the top English golfer competing in the US Masters.
Justin, currently ranked top European and 9th in the World was being interviewed about his excellent start to the event, topping the leader board after the 1st day.
During the interview he described how winning major tournaments such as the US Masters was his long term career goal and how he has broken this goal down into smaller goals, winning specific tournaments of increasing importance.
I nearly choked on my coffee when he described these intermediate goals as ‘stepping stones’. This is exactly the same way as I describe the goal setting process to my skiing clients and on my web site.
The idea is to break down a ‘big’ goal into smaller, more achievable sub goals (or stepping stones) which lead you towards the ‘big’ one. These stepping stones cover not just outcomes or results but also incorporate elements such as technique, equipment, fitness, tactics or psychology depending on your relative position to your ‘big’ goal.
Justin was also using the ‘stepping stone’ idea to manage the possibility of not winning at the Masters. During the interview he stated that he still had a few steps to go before he expected to win events such as the Masters – not that it wouldn’t be nice. This meant he could try his best for the win without too much self imposed pressure, as should he loose, he still had his pre planned ‘stepping stones’ which will lead him to success.
The great thing for skiers everywhere is that this approach is not confined to top level sports people but available to everyone. Start now – decide what your ‘big’ goal is and take it from there !
Hi David,
Your observations on intermediate goals and their efficacy.
Of particular interest were you comments on Justin Rose’s views about wanting to win but not distressing himself if he didn’t.
Good quality goal setting will help sustained motivation, and this is one of the key reasons for top sports people to use it.
A down side is that if the quality of the goal setting is not high, then it is possible for it to have the opposite effect.
It’s important I feel, to stress the *difference* between the goal setting *process*, and merely setting “targets”.
The really key element about goal setting is the *process* of it, not just the goal that one ends up with.
Additionally, the *type* of goal needs to be carefully considered. Outcome goals are usually, and certainly for recreational skiers, useless and fraught with potential for self-destructive self-talk.
Far better, is to learn how to develop process goals and concentration upon them. One of Britain’s top Judo sportswomen – an Olympic Gold Medallist – said that she never considers what the outcome of her bouts might be: instead she just concentrates on what she had to *do*.
Bob Valentine Trueman (Coach)
Absolutely. Targets on their own have limited value, especially if not carefully selected, and as you say, can lead to negative self-talk when not achieved.
More to follow on this I think.