By: David Geier, Certified Integral Golf Coach
SMART Goals move us towards a preferred future, usually based on a vision of where we see ourselves going. In the movie Caddy Shack, Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) tells Danny the caddy, “Danny, see your future, be your future, make you future.”
However, it’s interesting to note that roughly 90% of America’s population set no written goals for their lives or in their improvement in the game of golf. 10% create of the population has written goals, but only 3% set goals with time frames. Which category would you fall into? The 90%, 10% or the 3%? Start being a three-percenter, You’ll achieve more of your goals and they will keep you on course for the short term as well as the long term.
Goals should be SMART, not vague. So many students I have talked to, walk into an intro-ductory meeting with little more that a notion of a goal when they say, “I want to be more consistent.” My usual answer is, “tell me more about what you mean by being more consistent, your answer is somewhat general in nature.” The old expression, garbage in, garbage out, precision in, precision out comes to mind when golfers are vague and/or ambiguous about stating their goals.
To be SMART, goals need to be Specific, Motivational, Attainable, Relevant, and Trackable.
Goal achievement is a process. It doesn’t just happen. It takes a well-considered plan, it takes time, determination, dedication, confidence and of course, that all-important sense of purpose.
An example of a SMART goal would read, “I have a desire to lose 35 pounds by December 31, 2013. I will reach this goal by following a well balanced diet plan as suggested by my Preventive Medicine Doctor.
The above goal is SMART because it is SPECIFIC or clearly defined. It is MOTIVATIONAL because I know I will be healthier and feel better, especially my back. It is ATTAINABLE because I have five months to achieve it, which is a realistic seven pounds per month. The goal is also RELEVANT, because it is a goal that I am willing and able to work towards. Finally, the goal is TRACKABLE because it is measurable against a metric or standard.
Golfers need to break down their goals in several categories. One category is a learning category, another is a skills building category, a third would be a performance category.
An example of a learning goal would read: “I will learn the four skills of putting (reading the putt, aiming, the putting stroke, and distance control) within the next 60 days.”
A skills goal would read: “I will be able to demonstrate to my coach the four skills of golf within the next 60 days or less by using a putting assessment test against my current putting statistics.”
A performance goal would read: “I will reduce my handicap by 25% within the next 120 days.”
All of the above goals are short term as they are less than two years. A long term goal is two years or longer and is related to golf’s vision as a player.
By starting with the end result in mind, a golfer can use a timeline concept and work their way back from their future goal(s) to the present. Once achieved, additional goals can be added. Goals should be also evaluated for their importance and priority. Finally, golfers should also list obstacles they may encounter, as well as the resources they have for completing their goals within the selected time-frame.
David Geier is the owner of Golf: Inside & Out – Institute of Integral Golf. It is currently located in North Royalton, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. David’s interest for the last 23 years has been in the area of developmental golf training. His web site is http://golf-insideouttraining.com/ and can be reached at davidggeier@aol.com or 440 237-7550. David is the co-author of SCORE! Power Up your Game, Business, and Life. It is a book about learning to be more emotionally intelligent and how you can learn the skills of emotional intelligence by using golf as a training vehicle.
