Are You Setting the Right Goals?
Are You Setting the Right Goals?
For most athletes, the honest answer is no.
Let’s take a look at a common set of goals for a varsity basketball player:
- Make All-Conference
- Score X amount of points
- Win a State Championship*
Now, are these necessarily bad goals? Not at all. Every athlete wants to achieve great things. However, these types of goals set you up for disappointment and frustration because they focus on outcomes you can’t fully control.
Instead of making results-based goals your primary focus, shift your attention to process-driven goals. Here’s why:
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Focusing on Results is Unhealthy
Some outcomes are simply out of your hands. You can play your best game, but still not make All-Conference. You can give everything you have, but still fall short of a championship. If your success is tied to something you don’t fully control, you’re setting yourself up for frustration.
So, what can you control?
The First Step: Control What You Can
Instead of focusing on results, focus on actions that will make you better. Here are some examples:
Daily effort – How hard are you working every day?
Gym hours – Are you putting in extra reps?
Weight room consistency – Are you getting stronger?
Being a great teammate – Are you lifting others up?
Watching film – Are you studying the game?
Asking for feedback – Are you seeking ways to improve?
Every item on this list is 100% in your control.
When you obsess over your daily habits and effort, you give yourself the best chance to succeed—without the stress of chasing external results. Because let’s face it, when you don’t feel like you succeeded, it can be a huge stress in your head.
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Redefining Success: Avoiding the “Failure” Trap
When athletes set outcome-based goals, they often feel like they failed—even when they didn’t.
Imagine this:
- You showed up every day with a great attitude.
- You put in extra work before and after practice.
- You encouraged your teammates and stayed locked in.
By any real definition, that’s a successful season. But if your only goal was to make All-Conference, and you didn’t? It feels like failure—even though you improved, competed, and gave everything you had.
Shifting your goals will boost your confidence and motivation. If you focus on controlling your effort each day, you’ll not only feel more successful, but you’ll actually achieve more in the long run.
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Success is a Byproduct of Your Habits
Here’s the truth: If you put in the work, the results will follow. Maybe not in the exact way you envisioned, but they will come.
So instead of getting caught up in points, awards, or rankings, ask yourself questions like this:
- Did I maximize my effort today?
- Did I get better today?
- Did I do something to help my team today?
If you can say yes to those questions, you’re on the right path.
Lock in on the process, and the results will take care of themselves.
