Who Do You Want To Be In The Next 3 Months? – 50 for 50 Idea # 33

posted on: October 6, 2018
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

When athletes think about achieving goals, their focus generally goes to what they need to do in order to achieve the stated goal. That makes sense. They want to get to work right away. However, by going straight to the “what,” they are missing an important part of the goal achievement process. They are missing the “who.” Who do they need/want to be in order to achieve that goal they are looking to reach? Defining who you need/want to be becomes the vision that will guide the goal planning and achievement process. And to achieve a goal, I think you need a vision. I think you need to be able to see yourself as the person and player that can achieve that goal.

The first step in crafting your vision is defining who you are right now. That includes your strengths and opportunities for improvement. To do this thoroughly, you have to consider more than just the physical and technical skills associated with your sport. Of course, we generally start with the physical stuff first, but also consider who you are in the following categories:

• Mental: Focus, Critical Thinking, Decision Making
• Emotional: Confidence, Optimism, Positivity, Courage
• Character: Respect, Integrity, Self-discipline, etc.
• Motivation: Engagement, Purpose, Meaning

In each of these categories, I have given you additional items to use in order to define yourself. You may decide that there are other important categories to add to your definition.

When writing your definition, you want to do it in the first person and present tense. Example: I’m a player who focuses well from moment to moment, and is able to reset effectively. You’ll use this same format for the physical and technical aspects of your game.

Once completed, you will have a better sense of who you are. Now it’s time to think about who you want/need to be in order to reach your goal. If you don’t have a specific goal, that’s fine. Think of who you want to be in the next 90 to 100 days. Either way, this is a great opportunity to have a discussion with your coach or other trusted advisor on what that person looks like. How does he/she compete? How does he/she practice? You will use the same categories as above to help you write about the next version of you. Again, this is about creating a vision, so you have to be able to see yourself in the future.

As you go through the categories, look to maximize your strengths in these areas as well as improve something that needs to get better or be developed. This process should not be all about improving “weaknesses.” That’s what most people tend to do, but you should look to develop your strengths into super-strengths. Refer back to the blog post on that topic to understand the necessity of that.

Once you’ve completed your vision of your future self, try to visualize it. Can you see yourself being this person? Do you like what this competitor looks like? If not, keep working on the different categories. Once you’re happy with your vision, it will be much easier for you to figure out the “what” you need to do part of your plan. And your plan will be much more holistic in terms of your development as a competitor. Use this process to finish 2018 strongly!