“Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial.”
— George Saunders
Begin with the End in Mind and Work Backwards
Goal setting involves identifying a future outcome goal you want to achieve and then working backwards to outline the process goals needed to reach that future destination.
Detailed Instructions
- Write a future outcome goal you want to achieve using the SMART guidelines. Ensure that the goal statement defines a goal that is: Specific, Measurable, and Time-bound.
- Write 1-3 highlights from your previous experiences, whether specific to your past athletic pursuits or other relevant life events, that give you confidence that your ambitious, challenging goal is Achievable/Attainable.
- Ensure the goal is Relevant/Realistic by considering these questions:
- Does the goal align with and resonate with your current athletic interests?
- Does the goal represent something you truly want to do and freely choose to do (versus something you feel you “should” do to check a box or because others want you to do it)?
- Considering your other life commitments (work, family, etc.), financial situation, and the training you will need to do to realistically achieve the goal, are you in a position right now to pursue this goal?
- Work backwards from your future outcome goal to outline your process goals. These process goals include:
- Training Races/Key Milestones
- Monthly Actions
- Weekly Actions
- Daily Actions
- Now that you have your goals outlined, go do the work and evaluate your progress on a regular basis. Adjust your process goals as needed to keep moving toward the outcome goal.
Workbook
The workbook provides templates for all of the practical applications in the course. Download here if you haven’t already:
- Practical Application Workbook (Google Doc)
Example
Below is the finished goal sheet for the athlete seen throughout this lesson whose goal is to finish their first marathon. The lesson that follows provides a more in-depth case study of the outcome and process goals I used to train for and finish a 100-mile trail ultramarathon.
