Goal Setting Motivation

Goal Setting is something that high performance sports stars, CEOs and celebrities use to measure their successes, even the perceived smaller ones. There’s never a better time to talk about the subject of Goals than January. January the 1st is traditionally the time of year when millions of people start their New Year’s Resolutions.

Topping the list of the most popular options are the usual suspects:

• Eat Healthy
• Lose Weight
• Find a New Job

Why Should I Set Goals?

Goals are so important to have, otherwise life will just happen to you and not because of you. When you set Goals you are putting down a marker to say “This is what I want” and “I’m going to make this happen in my life”.

Goals are also needed for becoming the best version of yourself. Happier, Healthier, Fitter, Stronger, more Confident, Braver and more Giving are just a few examples. If you’re not striving to become better then you’re doing an injustice not only to yourself, but to all of your family, friends and colleagues whose lives you play a big part in.

Life happens and we all know that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but if you re-frame your thoughts and see your challenges as growth opportunities, you’re already halfway there.

Vital Ingredients that you will need to reach your Goals:

• Goals – Firstly you’ll need to know what you’re aiming for!
• Intent – I’m going to figure out what I need to do and then take the necessary steps to achieve my targets.
• Purpose – I’m going to put in the effort required to reach my goals.
• Persistence – I’m going to overcome all of the obstacles and failures that I will incur along the way in pursuit of my targets.
• Belief – I can do this because I’m not going to stop until I win.

If you set your intentions by creating some goals you’ll already be ahead of the large numbers of the British population that don’t. Remember, don’t let life happen to you, Make your life happen!

“The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”.

Walt Disney

Your targets don’t have to be overwhelming but they do need to challenge you in some way.

Potential Goal Setting Targets:

• make a conscious effort to improve a relationship with someone close to you.
• pay someone a compliment or be kind when they’re facing their own troubles.
• take up a new hobby or interest to increase your social circle and improve your mental health
• cut sugar out of your tea or coffee, the small things (both positive and negative) always add up.
• stop checking your social media every few minutes – if anything life-changing is on the cards, you can bet it won’t be long before you hear about it anyway!
• become better at the things that take up your time. If you spend you most of your waking hours, working, serving people, entertaining or playing games etc – be the best you can be at it! Showing up is part of life but there is no substitute for purpose. Have a purpose for everything that you do, even if only to move you onto the next step or task in your day.

Focus on your Goals – Example:

On the topic of purpose, I recently went to watch one of my clients compete in a World Rules Pool tournament. There were 64 players entered and some big names in the draw. Table availability and a few slow-play matches meant that the event was quickly turning into a long day where many players waited a few hours to get onto the table. There were certain comments made by some that displayed discontent. Player’s were struggling to remain focused and composed.

Of all the games I viewed during the early stages I got the impression that there wasn’t one player who really wanted it. That’s not to say that the calibre of players wasn’t high because that isn’t true. It was more a case of a lack of intent.
However, things soon changed as there was one cueist whose attitude caught my eye during the afternoon. This particular player turned it on like a switch as soon as his time arrived. He showed purpose throughout each of his matches and his confidence was consistently on display as he strutted around the table like a peacock showing off his feathers! During his matches he stayed 100% focused and committed to the goal of knocking his opponent out of the competition. It was apparent that he hadn’t just shown up to make up the numbers, he was there to win!

Peacocking – means dressing for attention. Like Peacocks showing off their feathers to attract a mate.

Unfortunately, the player in question did get knocked out at the Semi-Final stage by another opponent of great quality. However, he certainly did leave his mark on the day and on the players he dispatched of. There is something that makes his contribution even more impressive. After having the chance to speak with him during the day he revealed that he was facing some personal struggles. It’s not always just about the win, personal victories can be equally important. Showing up and giving your best under difficult circumstances will always go down as a win.

For more info and tips on gaining your Pool focus see Being Present in Pool is a Gift.

8 Ball Pool Goal Setting:

When new clients come to me for pool sessions they almost always have goals. Even if they haven’t really thought about them as such. A few popular examples are things like:

• “I want to get an 8-Ball”
• “I want to be able to beat my team mates”
• “I want to win X tournament”
• “I want to work on my technique”
• “I want to become more consistent”
• “I want to finish higher in the rankings”
• “I want to increase my enjoyment of the game”

All of these goals are the first step in attainment. Everything starts with a thought. The thoughts are your goals. Your mind is your most powerful tool, so it’s time to put it to use.

Goal Setting Challenge:

Now we’ve highlighted the importance of goal setting it’s time for you to get started. Create at least 3 Goals either Big or Small that will make an improvement to your life and also to those around you. If you’re struggling to come up with 3 then get in touch and we can come up with them together. If you’re still unsure about why you need to set yourself targets, remember the Pool Sat Nav example and how you’d never get into the car or play a game of 8-ball without knowing your end destination. It should go without saying that your chosen goals are only a starting point, you will also have to commit to them and make progress on them too!

Email me your 3 New Year Goals or drop them in the comments below – try and make it 1 of them pool related. 👍

Live with purpose and Raise Your Game.

THE POOL COACH🎱