Key Point

  • Goal setting is a tool that should be used to direct your efforts toward reaching your skiing potential.
  • Goal setting is effective because it helps you develop a blueprint for success and gives you a means to evaluate and reward your progress toward your ultimate dream.
  • When writing your goals, you should follow these guidelines.
  • Define your ultimate dream and then develop a blueprint to success that consists of lower level platforms and ladders that will get you to your dream.
  • Ask someone with experience in your sport to review your blueprint
  • Write down your goals, write a statement as the bottom expressing your commitment to these goals, and then sign the statement.
  • Post your goals where you can see them daily.
  • Share your goals with people who can be supportive ask them to assist you in reaching these goals.
  • Mae your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action oriented, Realistic, and Timely. This process will make the attainment of the goals manageable and will give you a way to judge whether or not you are reaching these goals.
  • Recognize that you may need to be flexible with your goals and adjust your goals as necessary.
  • Create a reward system that gives you reinforcement for reaching your short term goals. Use rewards that re compatible with your goals.
  • Remember that achieving your short term and long term goals will put you in the best possible position to have the opportunity to reach your ultimate goal.

Remember “By the yard it is hard, by the inch it is a cinch”

Goal Setting Exercise

  1. Write down your dream (ultimate goal) at the top of both worksheets in capital letters. Be bold here – write down your real and optimistic dream for your future.
  2. Across the top of both sheets write down the series of lower level platforms (mid term goals) that you’ll need to reach as stepping stones on the way to achieving your dream.
  3. On the left side of your Organizing Sheet, write down the names of some people who can help you to reach your goals. These should be people who will be supportive of you and who have information (related to how to be successful in your sport) that will be helpful to you.
  4. Find a time to talk one on one with each of these supportive people. Tell them your dream and ask them for specific advice as to how to reach this dream. Tell them that you are trying to develop a “blueprint” that will consist of a series of platforms and ladders to help you to reach your dream. On the right side of your organizing sheet, make notes from these conversations.
  5. After you have compiled the information from your supporters, go to your Goal Setting Sheet and write down the short term goals that will serve as the runs of the ladders that get you to each lower level platform (mid term goals).
  6. At the bottom of the Goal Setting Sheet, write the following sentence “I am committed to giving 100% to achieve these goals”. Then sign your name below this sentence.
  7. Post your Goal Setting Sheet in a place where you will see it every day. This could be beside your bathroom mirror.
  8. Look over your Goal Setting Sheet each day and work hard to attain your short term goals (the runs of your ladder)
  9. Use the reward system described in this chapter to help you stay motivated toward your goal.
  10. Every month, review the Goal Setting Sheet and adjust it as necessary based on your ability to climb the rungs of the ladders and on your progress toward your first level platform.