Motivation & Goal Setting

Setting compelling goals is the best way to make fast improvements in your game and grow as an individual. Goals give you targets, which simplify your decisions. You can approach each action you consider taking to improve you game with one thing in mind – will this move me closer to, or farther away from my goals?

Also, when you find out what your primary motivation switch is, and combine it with a well written goal, you'll make more progress in your game than ever before.

Once our need for survival, hunger and shelter are met, there are only 6 basic things that motivate us. Of the 6, there is one in particular that motivates you more than any other. It's important to know about these 6 motivators so that you can use them all as your work towards your goals. But even more important is to figure out what drives you must, so you can use it as a catapult for taking massive action and reaching your goals as quick as possible. Here are the 6 motivators:

1. To gain power/control

2. To prevent loss of power/control

3. To increase the depth of our relationships with others

4. To prevent the loss of depth of our relationships with others

5. To achieve a certain task

6. To avoid failure to achieve a certain task

Now that you know what these six motivators are, click here to read about a unique way you can use them when setting goals to get better results.

Knowing how to set a goal is just as important as setting a goal. A goal has to past three tests. The first test is the “over my shoulder” test. After you have written down your goal, it should be stated in such a way that a person could look over your shoulder and read it and determine whether you had or hadn't reached your goal.

An example of a goal that doesn't pass the “over my shoulder” test would be -- “To play with more confidence on the court.”

The problem is that “confidence” is too ambiguous. How will you know when you are playing with more confidence? Will you double fault less? For character traits and values, you have to assign them external indicators so you can accurately measure them.

The second test you goal has to pass is the deadline test. Without a deadline, a goal is just a wish. Whatever you desire to achieve, put a date on it. Otherwise, you'll find yourself procrastinating when you should be taking action.

Speaking of action, let's discuss the third goal test. Once your goal is written in a way that can be measured, and it has a deadline, if the moment after you have written it you don't do something to move toward that goal, that the goal isn't compelling enough.

You either need to create a more compelling goal, or come up with more compelling reasons to achieve that goal. That's where the 6 motivators come in to play.

After you have written down your goal, write two or three paragraphs about why you are absolutely committed to achieving your goal. Write how your goal will give you more power – more power to control your shots, your focus, etc. Write down how your goal will stop others from controlling you on the court. Write how achieving your goal will improve the relationships you have with others and how it will benefit other people, and so on.

Write a compelling reason for each of these 6 motivators. Then go back and circle the one that is most compelling. Now you will have your motivation style. Use this motivator everyday to keep you moving toward your goal.

After you've written your reasons why you are absolutely committed to achieving your goal, then take immediate action. If your goal was related to improving your focus on the court, then do a 5 minute visualization exercise.

It's not important if the first step you take is a big one or a small one. What is important is that you take some sort of action to bring you closer to your goal immediately after you set it.