Roadmap

The start of a new season is a natural transition time for most people. With transition comes an opportunity for a new beginning, an opportunity to define exactly what it is we want to achieve and then make a plan to go out and get it!

Many athletes and coaches approach the start of the season with a goal in mind, but they fail to clearly define it and often do not establish a clear path to achieve that goal. Without a clear path and definition, it’s difficult to stay on track and focus is quickly lost.

There are many different approaches to goal-setting and below is only one example, yet one that works well for many athletes and coaches. All you need is a pen, piece of paper, and about 10-15 minutes of your time. It’s a simple 5-step process. It’s important for you to write down your thoughts and answers so you can reference them later otherwise your dream remains just that, a dream.

Ready? Get your pen in hand and go for it!

1) Identify the 3-4 key performance components in your sport and/or position. These are skills or characteristics that are required for success in your sport or position. For example, a hockey defenseman might write a) game knowledge, b) strength, c) mobility, and d) good handling skills.

2) For each performance component listed above, describe how you would measure the ideal performance. For example, for mobility you might write 1) agility and quick feet, 2) ability to tie up players in front of net, and 3) ability to take away the outside drive to the net.

3) Next, rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 (1=poor, 5=average, 10=ideal) for each performance component in terms of where you are right now, today. If you do not rate yourself a 10 (likely), then clearly identify 1-2 factors that you need to change in your game for you to be closer to a 10. For example, with respect to mobility, you might rate yourself as a 6/10 and indicate that in order for you to be closer to a 10 you need to increase your foot speed.

4) Once you have completed step 3, identify what you can do over the next 2-3 weeks to help you increase each performance component rating by 1-2 points on the scale. For example, staying with the idea of mobility, to increase my foot speed I can spend an extra 5 minutes at the start or end of each practice doing agility training (with coach or personal trainer). This could be on-ice or off-ice training.

5) Finally, look over all performance components you identified in step 1 and decide which component is most critical for you to change right at this moment. Select one and use this as your performance focus over the next 2-3 weeks. If you have completed steps 1 through 4 correctly then you have a clear idea of what you need to do. Now go ahead and do it! Make it your daily focus.

You have created a road map to success. Keep this work posted somewhere where you will see it often (training logbook or bulletin board). Every week go back and rate yourself with respect to the performance component you’ve been focusing on, and go through steps 3-4 again. After about 3-4 weeks, focus on a new performance component (step 5).

This is a simple, yet very effective, step-by-step approach to goal achievement. Keep track of your progress, you will be surprised to see how quickly you improve and achieve your dreams when you have the right approach.

Good luck!