Goal Setting Guidelines

I encourage you to set challenging, ambitious long term goals for yourself. If you only set easily obtainable goals, you will never reach your highest levels of achievement. Do not be scared to strive to live your dreams. These challenges will increase your level of motivation and enhance your performance.

I am going to outline some important goal setting guidelines below that will help you identify and achieve your highest goals during the upcoming season and the years to come.

1. Be Specific, setting technique and training goals, as well as performance goals.

2. Set a variety of goals, including a combination of short, medium and long range goals.

3. Make your goals personal. Personal goals are more meaningful because they are what you want for yourself, not what others expect of you.

4. Make your goals challenging yet realistic.

5. Post your goals. Write your goals down and refer to them often.

6. Do not fear failure. If you only set easily obtainable goals, you will never reach your highest levels of achievement.

7. Evaluate your goals. Refer to your goals regularly. Check them off as you achieve them and set new goals.

8. Design a strategy for achieving your goals. Decide how much and what type of work it will take to achieve your goals.

9. Make a Commitment to your goals and work plan.

10. Believe in yourself!

In 1994 I left college coaching to focus on teaching and training young wrestlers. I believed in my ability to achieve my goals. I poured all my time and energy into training and motivating my young students, while improving and expanding my camps. I was armed with a variety of goals and a strategy to achieve them. I applied the same goal setting guidelines that I have outlined above.

It does not matter who else believes in you as long as you believe in yourself. If you wish to excel in wrestling or life, you must have meaningful, concrete goals and you must believe deep down inside that you will achieve them. I encourage you to make a commitment to achieving your highest goals today!