Setting Daily Goals
Having a big goal is important to know what you’re working towards. It can provide direction for the decisions you make and the actions you take. Your big goal should create a vision for your future.
But, the most important part of the goal is what you’re doing as you work to achieve it. Without the smaller steps to get you there, that goal is just a vision of what could be.
You need the smaller steps to create a standard of who you want to be, how you want to show up, and the actions you’ll take to achieve the goal.
One of the best ways to do this is to set daily practice goals. Daily practice goals allow you to focus on the smaller things that will continue to compound as you work on them. They are specific, related to your big goal, and can be focused on your mental or physical game.
Daily goals are such a huge part of reaching your goal because they are about what you do daily. Daily goals are the standards you set for yourself. It’s the way you require yourself to show up. And it’s the habits that lead to achieving your big goal.
There are two parts to setting daily goals. First, setting the goals you want to focus on. I suggest setting 3-4 goals weekly to have for the entirety of the week. But, you can also set them daily, if you’d like to adjust them a bit more.
To set your goals ask yourself, what do I need to focus on at training, practice, or each day that will help me reach my goal? As I mentioned earlier, think about mental and physical goals.
Let’s look at an example. If your big goal is to get recruited to play in college, ask yourself what is needed from you daily to reach this goal? Your practice goals may look something like the following:
I will lift weights 3 days a week for 30 minutes each day.
I will send film to 5 college coaches per week.
I will say my “power thought” to myself any time I make a mistake in practice.
I will practice shooting for 10 extra minutes at the end of practice.
In the example above there are a few different types of goals and each one is specific in time spent, amount, or how often it is completed. You want to do the same thing with the daily goals you choose to set.
A couple things to keep in mind:
Do not overwhelm yourself with practice goals. It might be that you only choose one to focus on each day.
There is no right or wrong goal. Whatever it is you feel will help you reach your big goal, set a daily goal around it.
Adjust or reset practice goals as needed. Maybe after a couple weeks you’d like to focus on defense rather than shooting. Set a defensive daily goal.
Reflect on them! More on that below.
As mentioned above the second part of daily goals is reflecting on them. You want to make sure you have these in mind going into your day or practice, and reflect on them at the end of the day.
Reflection is a key part because it allows you to track progress and adjust your goals if needed. If you don’t reflect on them it’s hard to know where you’re at and the progress that has been made. (Bonus points if you have a journal/notebook to track your progress in!)
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you reflect:
Did I achieve/complete my daily goal today?
If not, what can I change, improve, and/or focus on tomorrow?
If yes, what worked? How can I continue to repeat that success?
Are there any changes or adjustments I need to make to my daily goals? If yes, what are they?
Setting daily goals gives you intention for each day that may not be there otherwise. It allows you to be in control of your improvement and development even when the coach is deciding what practices look like for you. And it sets the standard for what’s needed to achieve your big goal.
Ready to go into each day with purpose and intention? Schedule a consultation today!