Is there really more to it than that?

So after I posted my short little video sharing 3 Simple Yet Effective Goal Setting Tips, I got a comment that indicated there was more to goal setting than what I mentioned.

Hmmmm, do I agree with that? Yes and No. You see, the video assumes that you already have an idea of what you want and you already have some goals in mind. Can you mess up setting a goal? Kinda. There are some general rules that you should follow so that the goals you set are much more effective than they would be if you didn't follow them.

HOWEVER, if we're talking not going anything at all about the goal in your head vs. taking that idea of what you want, setting a challenging goal, writing it down, then taking action on it (the 3 tips I shared in the video) - gosh, just those 3 things ALONE are going to significantly increase your chance at greater success.

Can simplifying it that much really make a difference? I believe so. Is it the MOST effective, most powerful way to do it? No, it's not. But it far outweighs, not setting a challenging goal, not writing it down, and not taking action on what you want.

When I first did an actual goal setting exercise, I was a HUGE skeptic - didn't believe for one second that it was really going to help or change anything. Needless to say I didn't really go into it with a serious, go get 'em attitude, but it worked anyway. I did it because it was an assignment from my coach - not because I really wanted to do it, more because I had to do it...and it still worked. Yes, I did go through a little bit of a though process about things I wanted to accomplish or get better with on the field (I'm talking just an hour or two of my time here), but it wasn't some complicated system where I had to think through every detail of the next 5 years or anything like that. I made no conscious effort to go after the goals I had written, I made no effort to look at or read these goals every day when I woke up or each night before I went to bed, I gave ZERO thought to whether or not my "short term" goals were related in any way shape or form to my longer term goals...and it still worked. In fact, it worked better than I ever thought possible. I accomplished things and improved skills in areas I never truly expected to levels I never thought were even possible and all much quicker than I imagined. I only thought about what I wanted to write down on my goal sheet for ONE afternoon. I wrote them down ONCE, I looked at them "on occasion." I was not obsessive about them, I didn't make any major efforts to make sure I was motivated, shucks I never really even tracked my progress on them. One day, about a year later, I looked back at what I had written and saw the goals I set had all been realized, even the ones I thought were a bit out of reach, ones I really wrote down more as wishes than things I really thought I could accomplish. I was doing things I had never done before on the softball field. I was hitting in a slot in the batting line-up no coach had ever put me in. After all, I'm only about 5'2" 120lbs and all my life I was told I was not a power hitter, yet there I was hitting in a power slot. Every coach in Hawaii new I was a pull hitter and was no threat to the right side, yet there I was smashing triples to the fence in opposite field with runners on base when they tried to attack my "weakness."

So does goal setting have to be super-complicated to help you achieve more? No, I don't think so. If you're talking about doing no goal setting vs doing a very simplified form of goal setting - I think doing any type of goal setting activity is better than none.

Is that going to be the most effective? No.

If I did some things different with that very first goal setting exercise I did could I have achieved even more? I think I could have, which is almost scary!

Do people who set goals ever "fail" to achieve them? Yes, sometimes this does happen for various reasons

Do people have trouble with motivation to stay on track with their goals? Yes

Are there things you can do to give yourself better odds and staying motivated, staying on track, and actually achieving what you want? Yes!

And that's all the stuff I'm going to cover in my upcoming 2 week goal setting bootcamp.

I'm really looking forward to working with a limited number of coaches and players on creating a path to great success this year and beyond. Whether you're the type of person who's never set goals before and want to get some guidance for making this a great year or the type of person who's set goals before but really want to get serious this time and set some powerful, effective goals for the future, this bootcamp is going to guide you through all of that.

If you're interested in having me help you through the process on setting your goals, fill in your name and e-mail address below and I'll keep you posted on when the bootcamp is ready.