Goal setting helps us transform intentions into actions and can be applied to any aspect of life. Without setting clear goals, you may end up taking aimless action with no clear direction or plan. You may feel like you’re putting a lot of effort into something without really having anything to show for it. This in turn can result in frustration and a loss of self-confidence and intrinsic motivation.
Goal setting in rehab is very common and is a key part of helping us get from an injured state back to our sport or activity of choice as quickly and efficiently as possible. Goals are used to guide the journey both mentally and physically, whilst helping us understand where we are in the journey.
Goal setting can be done in a number of ways depending on the desired outcome. It is often useful to set one bigger, long term goal – your north star, and then several ‘mini’ goals which provide milestones guiding you towards your big goal. This effectively creates a roadmap for you to follow. You can can then focus on the daily and weekly activity which will help you achieve each of these mini goals. When it comes to rehab, this will often be your rehab sessions, but can also include getting decent sleep each night, eating well and reducing stress to aid your recovery journey.
The SMART Framework for Goal Setting
There has been extensive research on goal setting protocols and a very popular one is the SMART framework. The acronym has many variations and we’ll outline a well established version below:
- Specific: is your goal focused and detailed? Have you described everything you want to achieve?
- Measurable: is there a way of measuring your goal? Without monitoring your progress, you cannot tell if you are on the right track. Measurements should ideally include objective metrics and can also include subjective measures.
- Achievable: is this goal something you have a good chance of achieving? Aiming too high can affect motivation and confidence. Aiming too low is unlikely to get you to where you want to be.
- Relevant: Is your goal relevant to you and your situation? There is no point in following a generic path if it provides no value or benefit to you.
- Time bound: when would you like to complete this by? Adding strict deadlines can be too stressful for some, but setting a rough timeline helps you keep focused.
At Optimi, we encourage you to set a meaningful longer term goal, supported by some key milestones. We help you set your goals, map out a timeline and create a weekly plan to focus your efforts. We give you helpful nudges along the way to keep you on track and we also give you the option to join a community with people pursuing similar goals – the journey is often a lot more fun with a supportive tribe.
