{"id":19291,"date":"2024-07-25T08:36:42","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=19291"},"modified":"2025-06-03T06:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T10:36:15","slug":"what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes\u00a0Athletic Goals\u00a0a Reality?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/athletic-goals.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/athletic-goals.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/athletic-goals-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Difference_Between_a_Dream_and_Performance_Goals\"><\/span>The Difference Between a Dream and Performance Goals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/#The_Difference_Between_a_Dream_and_Performance_Goals\" >The Difference Between a Dream and Performance Goals<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/#Other_components_of_the_goal-setting_process_are\" >Other components of the goal-setting process are:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Article\" >Related Sports Psychology Article<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/#The_Focused_Athlete_Digital_Download\" >The Focused Athlete (Digital Download)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, you will hear athletes interviewed talking about the Olympics being their long-term dream, such as, \u201cI\u2019ve dreamt about being an Olympian since I was a little kid,\u201d or &#8220;Being an Olympian is a dream come true.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was it the dream that vaulted these athletes to Olympic status? If that were the case, everyone who had a dream of achieving something of significance would accomplish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A dream may spark interest in achieving something worthwhile. Having the same dream of accomplishment may even ignite a sense of passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, dreams alone play a small role in athletic accomplishment. The power behind achievement lies in <strong>goals<\/strong>, specifically the goal-setting process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s distinguish between goals and dreams. Dreams are vague images that exist in your mind. Goals are specific, clear, well-defined objectives based on reality that trigger action. There is little power behind dreams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But goals, on the other hand, provide athletes with sustained motivation to persist through challenges and obstacles. Effective athletic goals start with the SMART method. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Specific &#8211; Your goal should be clear, specific, and well-defined.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measurable &#8211; Your goal should be quantifiable and have a means for measuring progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Achievable &#8211; Your goal should be challenging but attainable.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Relevant &#8211; Your goal should be personal, something YOU want to accomplish.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time-Based &#8211; Your goal should have a deadline or time frame. Identifying your athletic <strong>goal <\/strong>is only one step in the goal-setting process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_components_of_the_goal-setting_process_are\"><\/span>Other components of the goal-setting process are:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Goal Planning &#8211; Identifying the specific steps needed to accomplish your goal, including physical, technical, and mental skills that need to be developed.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Progress Evaluation &#8211; Frequently, you should assess your progress by objectively evaluating your competition and practice <strong>performances<\/strong>. Are you on target to accomplish your goal in the designated time frame?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjustments &#8211; After evaluating your progress, determine if there are tweaks to your plan that will keep you on track.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The following is an example of the confusion between goals and dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixteen-year-old track prodigy Quincy Wilson started dreaming about becoming an Olympian while watching the 2016 Olympics. Despite failing to qualify for the 400-meter individual event at the trials, Wilson was added to the Team USA 4&#215;400 relay pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WILSON<\/strong>: &#8220;I remember seeing Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt go head-to-head, and I was just like, &#8216;I want to be up there one day,&#8217; And I told my mom, dad, and now, it&#8217;s the dream come true. When I got the call, I was like, I was ecstatic. I started running around the house. It was just a moment for me because everybody dreams about going to the Olympics as a young kid.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wilson&#8217;s initial dream may have set the wheels in motion, but he eventually transitioned his dream into a <strong>goal <\/strong>and started the planning and work phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wilson committed to a training plan, actionable steps, intensity of effort, and visualization to accomplish his objective. Though he may still use goal and dream interchangeably, it was the goal-setting process that pushed him towards achieving something of significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WILSON<\/strong>: &#8220;When you dream about it a lot, it does come true when you put your work to it.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wilson&#8217;s addition to the USA Olympic relay team came after he ran under 45 seconds in three separate 400-meter heats at the trials, breaking the 42-year-old under-18 world record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WILSON<\/strong>: &#8220;I&#8217;ve never been this happy a day in my life when it came to track. I&#8217;ve been working for this moment. That&#8217;s 42 years, 42 years of nobody being able to break that record, and I broke it twice in [three] days.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To sum up, dreams spark interest, but goals ignite a passion and desire to identify a challenging objective, define an action plan, and commit to the necessary mental and physical work to achieve something of significance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turn your dreams into goals. Start by writing a SMART <strong>goal <\/strong>and creating a specific plan of attack to direct your actions. In addition, commit to objectively evaluating your progress and being flexible enough to tweak your plan when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Article\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Article<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/sports-psychology-and-goal-setting\/\">Sports Psychology And Goal Setting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/effective-goal-setting-for-athletes-in-the-new-year\/\">Effective Goal Setting for Athletes in the New Year<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/setting-the-right-goals-for-skating\/\">Setting the Right Goals for Skating<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" style=\"width:158px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Focused_Athlete_Digital_Download\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-focused-athlete-digital\" title=\"The Focused Athlete (Digital Download)\">The Focused Athlete (Digital Download)<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Focused Athlete\u201d audio and workbook program helps you or your athletes overcome distractions and sharpen your concentration during competition. You learn how to get locked in during practice and competition so you can improve and perform better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cFirst, I would like to thank you for the help given to me through your programs, \u2018<strong>The Confident Athlete<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018<strong>The Focused Athlete<\/strong>.\u2019 I have made tremendous sacrifices though all these years to become a top Olympic Trap shooter but something was missing. This missing part was with my mental game. My scores increased tremendously in record time and others said that I was a different shooter.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>~Marios Kapodistria<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-button ab-block-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-focused-athlete-digital\" class=\"ab-button ab-button-shape-rounded ab-button-size-medium\" style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#3373dc\">Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Difference Between a Dream and Performance Goals During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, you will hear athletes interviewed talking about the Olympics being their long-term dream, such as, \u201cI\u2019ve dreamt about being an Olympian since I was a little kid,\u201d or &#8220;Being an Olympian is a dream come true.\u201d&nbsp; Was it the dream that vaulted these athletes &#8230; <a title=\"What Makes\u00a0Athletic Goals\u00a0a Reality?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/what-makes-athletic-goals-a-reality\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What Makes\u00a0Athletic Goals\u00a0a Reality?\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[1114,1101],"class_list":["post-19291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-goals-in-sports","tag-setting-goals-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the difference between an athletic dream and performance goals? 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