Last time we talked about specificity of goals, which is the "S" in the SMART goal setting principle, and we also went through strengths and weaknesses versus limiters, neutrals, and enablers. Right into the rest...
Measurable: This is one of the hardest things to achieve with sailing goals, simply because sailing is so relative. By that I mean if you beat other people, you take that as a positive sign, and if you lose to other people that's a negative. The problem is what if the other guy has the flu or is tired from a brutal workout week or is just off? Or if the other guy (and by guy of course I mean gender non-specific other person, as ever) is just peaking and smashing it? Cycling, running, swimming - these are all super easy to measure. I want my 10k time to get to x, I want my threshold watts/kg to be x, I want my 200 free time to be x - these are measurable in the absolute, totally non-dependent on other people.
Although still relative, there are a few ways you can kind of measure things in the absolute. Keeping tabs on when you are "plus boats" or "minus boats" is a great one. If you have been struggling upwind but caning it downwind, a good goal would be to improve the upwind. Is it speed or positioning or shift strategy that's hurting you? Evaluate each element, and work on the ones that need most help. Then play a game to have the best first top mark position you can, do what you do on the run, and then gain boats (or at least not lose them, also because hey maybe you're in the lead and no one to pass) on the second beat. A leg when you are "plus boats" is any leg when you've passed more people than have passed you. A "minus boats" leg is the opposite. This works well because you are judging yourself versus an aggregate of boats, which should smooth out any spikes from individuals who are on particularly good or bad days.
Improving lineups against known partners is also a good way to measure. Be as open and honest with each other as you can be about how you are feeling, the level of sails you're using that day - everything. Taking out a freshie sail and beating up on people using bed sheets tells you nothing.
Achievable: Pretty straightforward here. If you are currently struggling to win in your local events, making the Worlds Team this year is going to be a big stretch. Becoming a more consistent and relevant player in your local events is more realistically achievable. On the other hand, some of you will be realistically trying to win a nationals. Your goals should stretch you, but they shouldn't be so far out that they're hard to take seriously, or will just depress you because they're unrealistic given where you're starting from. Challenge yourself but give yourself a chance. The pleasure of meeting an appropriately challenging goal is big.
Relevant: This really has a lot to do with limiters, neutrals, and enablers. If something isn't a limiter, improving it needn't be a goal. On the other hand, if a weakness IS a limiter, then improvement in that venue is a relevant goal.
Trackable: Intermediate steps help guide you on the path to the greater goal. If you want to improve hiking fitness, then the amount of time you can hold a wall sit is a good milepost for that. You should see incremental gains in your ability to do each of your exercises. If you are seeing backwards progress, then that is time to evaluate. Are you overtired and pounding yourself into the ground? Are you staying out too late at night and not getting good sleep? How is your nutrition going? Your world should be full of little touchstones to help keep you aware of your progress towards your goal. Pay attention to them.
A last point about goal setting is that until you write them down, commit to them, and share them with other people, they aren't real. Opening your notebook and seeing your goal in print makes you accountable to it. Having your parents ask you how you are progressing toward a goal you've shared with them makes you accountable to it.
Soon enough I will talk about my goals for the 2016-2017 SG team. I am still working on them, which isn't easy given the number of variables involved, but I have a good handle on the rough outline.
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