Why most athletes wish for goals instead of reaching them
Every December. Every preseason meeting. Every training camp. Everyone writes down goals. And most of them quietly erase those goals six months later -- or forget where the paper even is.
It's not laziness. It's not a lack of motivation. It's the system. Or more accurately -- the lack of one.
Last year, I sat down at home and wrote out my goals. Not for the first time. But this time I used a specific method. And I actually hit every single one of them. All of them. So let me show you how.
The GPS method: three steps that turn wishes into reality
The method is called GPS. G for Goal, P for Plan, S for System. Three parts that have to work together. If one is missing, the goal won't happen.
A goal without a plan is a wish. A plan without a system is a to-do list nobody follows. Only when all three parts come together do you get results.
G -- Goal: One goal, not ten
Start with the goal. Sounds obvious, but this is where most people make their first mistake. They write down ten goals at once. "I want to be faster, stronger, have better endurance, earn more money, spend more time with family..." And then they don't make progress on any of them.
Pick one main goal per quarter. Two at most. And it has to meet three conditions:
- It's specific. Not "I want to be a better player." But "I want to reach a 36-inch vertical jump."
- It's measurable. You need to know when you've hit it. A number, a date, a clear outcome.
- It's yours. Not your coach's. Not your parents'. Yours. When the goal comes from you -- not someone else pushing it on you -- you chase it differently.
Example from sports: a hockey forward might write "I want to score 15 goals by the end of the season." Clear. Measurable. And when it's something he wants -- not something the coach is demanding -- he goes after it with a different kind of fire.
P -- Plan: Three steps, not thirty
A plan is a map. But you don't want a map showing every back alley -- you want the main route.
Once you have your goal, write down three to five key steps that will get you there. Not twenty. Three to five. Each step has to be a concrete action, not a vague intention.
Back to the hockey player. He wants 15 goals. His plan might look like this:
- End every practice with 15 extra minutes of shooting drills.
- Review game film once a week and track where scoring chances come from.
- Book a session with a strength coach to work on leg explosiveness.
Three steps. Each one clear. Each one actionable -- meaning something you can actually start doing next Monday.
A plan isn't about being perfect. It's about having a direction. You'll adjust it along the way, and that's fine. But you need a starting point.
S -- System: What you do every day without thinking
This is where most people fail. They have a goal. They have a plan. But they don't have a system.
A system is what you do consistently -- without having to decide every morning whether you feel like doing it or not. You made the decision once. Then you just execute.
Athletes know this drill. You show up to practice every day -- regardless of your mood, the weather, or whether you slept badly last night. Practice just happens. A system works the same way.
For the hockey forward: every Tuesday and Thursday after practice, 15 minutes of extra shooting. Every Sunday evening, 20 minutes reviewing film from Saturday's game. Doesn't matter how you feel. It's in the calendar. Done.
The key is to keep the system as simple as possible. If you can't describe it in one sentence, it's too complicated and you won't stick with it.
Why athletes have an edge but still drop the ball
Here's something interesting: athletes have a natural foundation for goals and discipline that most people don't. You know what it means to work systematically. You know what it means to repeat the same thing a hundred times until it clicks. Sports wired that into you.
But outside the field or the rink, you stop using it. Suddenly you wait for inspiration. For the right moment. For when you'll have more time.
That's the mistake. The same approach you use in training -- repeat, measure, improve -- works exactly the same way for your career, finances, or personal growth. You just have to transfer it.
What GPS looks like in practice
Let me tell you how I used it myself. Last December, I sat down and wrote one main goal: create new content that reaches athletes aged 18-25 and helps them navigate life beyond sports. Specific. Measurable by the outcome.
Plan: three steps. Record videos every week. Experiment with new content formats. Collect feedback and adjust based on it.
System: every Monday morning, I plan the week's content. Every Wednesday, I film. Every Saturday, I edit and publish. No thinking, no internal debate about whether I'm in the mood or not.
And I hit that goal. It wasn't a miracle. It was a system.
Discipline isn't about being strong every day. It's about making the decision once -- and then just following through. A system frees you from having to decide all over again every morning.
One concrete task for today
Grab a piece of paper. Right now. Or open the notes app on your phone. And write:
- One goal you want to achieve by the end of this quarter.
- Three steps that will get you there.
- What you'll do every week to stay on track.
The whole thing takes 10 minutes. 15 at most. And it's probably the best investment of time you'll make this week.
Goals are simpler than you think. Most people just approach them wrong. They wish for them instead of planning for them.
Now you know how to do it right.
What to read next
The GPS method helps you set a goal and build a system. But for that system to work long-term, you also need the right routines and mental framework. I wrote about that in Mental Training for Athletes.
Want to learn specific techniques for building mental strength and staying consistent? Check out the e-book The Mental Edge: 25 Mental Techniques for Athletes.