Lou Rosselli
US Olympian
April 1998

Goal Setting: Long and Short-Term Goals

Short-term: Goals that can be measured daily, weekly or monthly. This will let you see where you stand and how close you are getting to achieve your long-term goals. These help measure your performance in small increments.

Example: To make the team or to work out 2x a day 5x a week.

Long-term: Goals that are going to take you from 1 to 5 years to achieve.

Example: Winning the NCAA or being an Olympic Champion.

Tips to Achieve Your Goals

Tip 1: Use a training log: This is to ensure your commitment to your goal. You will be able to see why things aren't working out for you if too many days are missed in your training. It usually shows you are not working hard enough.

Tip 2: Have a plan: Design or have someone help you design a general format showing how you plan to achieve your goal.

Example:

Run 3x a week

Lift 3x a week

Drill and wrestle 5x a week

Have an in-season format and an out-of-season plan. This is usually how you are going to make your dreams a reality.

Tip 3: Make a commitment: This should be long-term, not just a week or a month.

Example: Many people quit after realizing how hard a particular goal is to achieve or before they see the light at the end of the tunnel. Continue to find ways to succeed instead of reason to fail. It's easy to train when you're winning. It's when your losing that you must make a stronger commitment to what you are doing. Learn to train harder and smarter.

Tip 4: How to stay motivated:

1). Visualize your goals daily - make them one of the most important things in your life.

2). Visualize a loss - remember how it made you feel and then train harder/smarter than your previous competition.

3). Make working out a way of life - it's much more enjoyable and it will help you keep positive.

4). Buy and read books that deal with successful athletes and how they overcame their adversities. Remember the key to all motivation is "DESIRE."

Tip 5: Be Positive with yourself and others.

1). Don't hang around people who are negative or try and put your dreams down.

2). Don't let others criticize your goals or let them convince you that your goals aren't important.

3). Be a believer: The more training you do the more positive and confident you will become.

4). Use self-talk to improve your mental state of mind. Don't let your subconscious mind get negative after a loss. Tell your mind to stop thinking that way. It does have an important role in your success.

5). Don't use words like can't, failure, not good enough, and suck. Use words like improvement, success, progress, and better.

These are some tips that may help anyone's wrestling. Remember to stay focused on the task at hand, train hard, and be positive. Good Luck!!

Lou Rosselli
Olympian

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