Goal Setting For Greatness

The second phase of the 10-Minute Toughness mental-training plan is the identification and achievement of goals. I believe the 10-MT goals program is the finest program of its type. I know from personal experience that when it is time to talk about goals, many people gloss over the subject. I hope you will read these next three chapters with an open mind. I have made an effort to create an easy-to-complete program that can bring solid results on a daily basis. This chapter explains the three levels of goals and how to avoid the common pitfalls in effective goal setting. Chapter 7 then shows you how to use incentives and vision integrity to enhance motivation. In Chapter 8, whose topic is work ethic, you get a practical resource for being more physically and mentally prepared than your competition. After reviewing the sample work sheets provided, including Goal Setting for Greatness, you can turn to Appendix B for blank forms to complete on your own. When it comes to goals, I believe three main concepts are of the utmost importance, yet they are often overlooked in the goal-setting process. The three concepts that turn ordinary goal setting into effective goal setting are these: 1. Process goals produce results 2. No excuses; go public 3. Keep goals alive, and live the dream The following sections plumb these three concepts and explain how to apply them to your life to further improve on mental toughness and preparation for success.With his team leading 5–2 in the top of the sixth inning, a young minor-league pitcher whom we will call Steve was all too aware that if he could get through this inning, not only would he lower his ERA, but also he might get a much needed win. (ERA—earned run average—as noted in Chapter 2, reflects the average number of runs allowed per nine innings.) He kept thinking about how urgently he needed to lower his ERA if he was ever going to make it to the big leagues. All year, he had worried about how many runs he was allowing, and he knew that his ERA, which was now more than 4.5, was too high to carry him to the majors. It seemed as if the more tightly he focused on lowering his ERA, the higher it got.Since it was already late in the season, he knew he needed to start stringing some solid outings together if he was going to finish the year with his ERA under 4.0. As the first hitter of the inning stepped in, the pitcher was preoccupied with not letting another runner cross the plate. He said to himself, “If I can just get through this inning, they will probably lift me, which will keep me in line for the victory, and my ERA would be only 3.0 for the day. I can do this. Just get through this inning.” The batter hit a line drive off the wall that ended up as a long single. With one man on and no outs, again Steve began obsessing about his ERA. The next batter hit a line drive to the third baseman, and the runner at first was thrown out for a double play. “One more out; all I need is one more out. I can do this,” the pitcher told himself. The third hitter walked on four straight balls. After another single, the opposing team had men on first and third with two outs. Steve again was reduced to musings about statistics and the likelihood of his major-league dream slipping away. The next man up hit a long fly ball to the outfield that was reeled in by the left fielder. The pitcher got out of the inning, and his team wound up winning the game. Although Steve commented in our next meeting that he was pleased with the outing and getting the win, I could not help thinking that he had lost more than he had won.