Small Steps Toward Big Success

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” The sooner you commit to a goal, the more time you have to develop it and the more likely you are to achieve it. Regardless of your season of competition, it isn’t too late or too early to plan for success. As a student athlete, especially entering Week 8 of classes, it can be far too easy to lose sight of what we’re working for athletically. With multiple mid-terms in one week, practice intensity increasing, internships, fall festivals, and everything else going on, the little things can fall by the wayside. Rest is important for everyone, athletes especially. Maybe the 8 hours we were getting in August seems impossible now. We may be tempted to stay up late studying, or need to stay up later studying because we wasted time earlier in the day. Maybe while we’re up late, we drink coffee (more than usual) and thus have elevated caffeine and sugar levels which can further hinder the rest we get. These little things are hardly noticeable, but they can have a big impact on performance. We all have big outcome and performance goals, I’m sure. Maybe it’s to finish a certain number in the MAC (outcome goal), or to run a certain time or attain a certain personal statistic throughout the season (performance goal). These are only dreams, however, until we know our process goals. Process goals are the small efforts that we can do daily in order to perform our best. These could pertain to sleep, nutrition, mental toughness, daily ways to enhance your training, or anything else you need to succeed. Having these posted somewhere, maybe in your room or as the screensaver of your phone, can allow you to re-center yourself mid-day or at night when you’re tempted to have an extra snack or to spend an extra hour awake. College life can be overwhelming, and the added responsibilities of being a student athlete can definitely wear you down. Having predetermined goals, and seeing them every day, can really help to keep you focused and willing to work hard. When you know what you’re training for, who you’re training to be, it can often stop feeling like work.

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