The Best Approach for Goal Setting
by Doug Stewart
As we have moved into December, it is likely the time that many of you will be looking at goals for the coming year. A recently published systematic review revealed some interesting findings as to the most helpful goals to create.
Their aim was to discover the overall impact of goal setting on performance, the elements that impact this, the strength of the impacts, and the effect of different goal types.
27 articles were deemed to meet the eligibility criteria for the review, and resulted in 1,764 participants in total (794 female and 879 male, with 91 not specified). Overall, most participants were adults (1077), with the remainder being under 18 years old.
There are three main types of goals that athletes may set:
Process goals are specific actions or ‘processes’ of performing. For example, aiming to complete every session in a plan, or eat every 30 minutes during a long endurance session. Process goals are 100% controllable by the athlete.
Performance goals are based on personal standards that you set. For example, aiming for a time in a race.
Outcome goals are based on performance relevant to others. Outcome goals are very difficult to control because of other outside influences and the athlete cannot influence many elements that play a role in the final outcome.
Overall, the review found that setting Outcome goals did not lead to a significant performance improvement, but creating Performance goals did. However, the largest positive impact on performance came for those that set Process goals.
Process goals were also shown to improve self-efficacy – i.e., an athlete’s belief in their ability to achieve a specific goal – and this, in turn, has been shown in many studies to improve athletic performance. Athletes with higher self-efficacy perform better and it appears that Process goals are one way to enhance this, likely due to the increase in confidence that is achieved when achieving this type of goal.
So, as you begin to plan 2023 and work on your own goals, make sure to focus on Process goals as these appear to be the most beneficial for your overall performance.
References:
Williamson, O., Swann, C., Bennett, K.J., Bird, M.D., Goddard, S.G., Schweickle, M.J. and Jackman, P.C., 2022. The performance and psychological effects of goal setting in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, pp.1-29.