There are six types of goals in football (soccer to some): The Penalty Kick, Header Goal, Overhead Kick or Bicycle Kick (to me, visually the most impressive), The Scissor Kick, The Olympic Goal or Corner Kick Goal and Back Heal Goal.
But, there are over twenty types of goals in coaching: outcome goals, distal and proximal goals, higher and lower order goals, approach and avoidance goals, performance and learning goals, complementary or competing goals, unconscious goals, self-concordant goals, and the actual concrete results which the client aims to achieve (Grant, 2016).
Process of setting meaningful goals is likely less challenging than the Overhead Kick stunt (or, challenging in a different way). However, research shows that it is precisely the goal-focused aspect of the coaching relationship that is the key predictor of coaching success (Grant, Cavanagh, 2007). This means that it is paramount to (Grant, 2016):
- Develop clear, simple and achievable plans
- That the plan includes goals that are important and challenging at the same time
- That possible obstacles and failures are attended to (in advance and retrospect) and
- That the client’s progress in being followed.
Below is do-it-yourself HandOut with the guidelines to setting your goals:
1. Is your goal short-term or long-term oriented?
Tip: Try to set an overall vision for yourself (how do you see yourself in let’s say one or two years) and then break down the goals into more near-term activities.
2. Is your goal more abstract or concrete in nature?
Tip: Concrete goals are always more practical, however having an abstract goal can also be sufficient. The aim is to make the goal more specific as soon as you get clear on what you really want.
3. Is your goal expressed as a movement towards or away from something?
Tip: Try to define your goals as positive statements of desired state, for example: Instead of: I don’t want to do x and y during my presentations, use: I want to become clearer in delivering my messages.
4. Is your goal performance oriented or is it a learning goal?
Tip: Do you have the necessary skills, abilities and knowledge to achieve the goal? For example, you want to increase your sale by 15% in the next 6 months. But for this, you need to develop a better sales pitch that will win you new customers. So, focus on learning and perfecting your sales pitch first while testing it on your new clients. Expanding your focus from performance to learning will help you see tasks as positive challenges, which will result in higher engagement rate, improved memory and well-being (Deci, Ryan, 2002; Linnenbrink et al, 1999).
5. Is your goal complementary to your existing goals, or is it conflicting?
Tip: The more congruent your goals are, the easier it is for you to reach them. Reaching congruent goals is also linked to increased sense of well-being.
6. What behaviours are not aligned with your current goals?
Tip: List all the actions that are not congruent with your conscious goals. If your goal is to save xy amount of money by the end of the year, then list of all the expenses that need to be eliminated in order for you to get to xy. Simple, but not always apparent.
7. Is your goal aligned with your personal values? Specifically, is your goal defined by your authentic self as opposed by external factors (your boss, partner, mother..)?
The most significant and central part to all goals are self-concordant goals. Self-concordance refers to the degree to which your goal is aligned with your intrinsic interests, motivations and values. This is your link between values and goals (Deci, Ryan, 1980). It is about your perception of how “personal” your goals really are (Sheldon, Elliot, 1999).
Tip: Try to establish goals that are genuine, representative of your interests and aligned with your needs and values.
Values are central to the process of goal setting, because they determine your direction in life and your actions. Insight on what is important to you depends on your level of self-awareness. Self-reflection, asking the right questions and writing them down are the first steps to increasing awareness.
If you need help and guidance with clarifying what really matters to you and how to get there, you are in the right place. If you need help on how to execute Overhead Kick, call your favourite football coach or Ronaldo. Either way, do what you can and take charge.
Next: HandOut for uncovering your Personal values.
Image: Pinterest