Why goal setting is important for every athlete
Paris Olympic Games 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi poses with his Diamond League medal and Trophy on September 16, 2203 at Nation Centre in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- An athlete without a set of goals is also prone to indiscipline insofar as their training and competition is concerned.
- These goals give you purpose for waking up at a particular time every day and to push yourself in training regardless of how tedious the process may feel at times.
Following the conclusion of the Diamond League Circuit over two weeks ago, most athletes have drawn the curtain on their season.
After a busy year in which we had the Paris Olympics – among other competitions – it is a well-deserved rest for many athletes who spent hours and days preparing and participating in these events.
For the athlete, even as you spend time with family and friends catching up on lost time, it is important not to lose sight of the upcoming season.
With the World Championships in Tokyo headlining the plethora of athletics events in 2025, athletes need to start planning as soon as yesterday.
You may not be training intensely as in the on-season but it is still vital to remain in shape – physically and mentally.
Every athlete needs to embrace the art of goal setting, which guides him or her all year round – whether in or out of action.
Having a set of goals provides clarity on the trajectory of your career, providing the foundation for the solutions to remedy any shortcomings.
As you take a break from the track and field, road race or cross country, it is important to analyse the goals you had set for yourself at the beginning of the season to see whether you attained them or not.
In as much as goals should be long term, athletes should also come up with short or mid-term milestones.
For example, even as you fix your eyes on winning a medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, you can target the Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field Weekend meetings as a short term goal.
Excelling at such local competitions will keep athletes motivated and push them towards their bigger goals, as is the case for the World Championships – or even the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Goal setting also provides the rationale for the resources required to attain them. These resources include training equipment, training regimen, diet, finances, travel plans et al.
An athlete without a set of goals is also prone to indiscipline insofar as their training and competition is concerned.
These goals give you purpose for waking up at a particular time every day and to push yourself in training regardless of how tedious the process may feel at times.
Indeed, success is not about luck but proper planning and execution of set goals. Failing to plan is planning to fail; there is no better time than now to set your goals for the upcoming season.
