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This is the time of year I usually talk about the importance of setting goals. In 2008 my goals were: 1) To win a world championship; 2) To win the NFR average; 3) To win the Texas Circuit. For the first time in my career I was able to check off all the goals I had set for the year.
My goal, for so long, was to win a world championship and I had never thought past that. I didn’t have another goal after winning a gold buckle. I had never thought about winning two gold buckles. Achieving those goals was such an event for me and so emotional that it took a toll on me in 2009. I didn’t realize how much until we were half way through the year and I wasn’t in the top 50. Then I started bearing down and winning and ended up getting hurt which all but killed my chances of making the finals.
I always take time between seasons to think about my goals. This year I’m at Dodd’s, my trainer, in Florida in the ultimate training camp. We get up at 5 a.m. and go until midnight or later. We’re either training, eating or talking about strategy and goals. It is amazing how heightened your mental state becomes when you break yourself down physically.
In this environment my goal setting has reached a new level. My goals are very specific and I have a set of both short and long-term goals. I have three pages or sets of goals: professional goals, personal goals for me and my family and spiritual goals. I have a fourth page that is a summary of these, which contains my top six to ten goals.
When setting goals it’s important to be strategic and I always take time to think about what I want to happen this year, in the next ten years and how I’m going to get there. Goals need to be realistic and be something you’re willing to work for. Goals are much different than a wish or dream. Normally we make them too big or too small or don’t write them down. You have to have a road map of how you’re going to get there.
For every goal I make, I run it through the grinder and ask myself if I’m willing to do what it takes and make the necessary sacrifices to reach those goals.
Any goal without time spent, is a wish – not a goal. There’s a lot of difference between a wish and a goal. You can dream big, but know that the sacrifice will have to be just as big to reach it.
On a different note I’ve been given an opportunity to keep people up to date with what I’m doing and be able to share my training routines, etc. Now in the Applications section of iTunes there is a Stran Smith app available for the iPhone for $2.99. I’m pretty excited about it and hope you enjoy it.
Until next time, God Bless, and I’ll see you down the line.
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