Outcome, Performance and Process goals. What are they and how will they help you achieve your best?

Oct 3

Todays blog is brought to you by HP3 / University of Salford sports science student - Daniel Thomas

Introduction

Setting your goals for the season ahead can seem daunting and confusing. Relevant, achievable goals are essential for an enjoyable and fulfilling season. Some goals need be challenging and demanding, pushing yourself to the limit to achieve your highest level of performance. So, how do you decide which goals to set? How hard should they be? And how many goals should you have? Well, firstly, you need to understand what goals are, the different types, and how they interlink.

In sport, goal setting has been around since the mid-1980s and was initially thought to have little effect on sporting performance. Modern research and reviews show that when done correctly, goal setting has positive effects on enhancing performance and certain psychological outcomes such as motivation, anxiety, and confidence (Williamson, O. 2022). A goal is defined as what an individual is trying to achieve and is the object or aim of an action (Locke, E. 1981). Research conclusively shows to achieve enhanced performance a variety of goal types are needed, which all aid the achievement of one another (Locke, E. A. 1981; Jeong, Y.H. 2021; Williamson, O. 2022).

What are Outcome Goals?

Outcome goals focus on the end result, the specific outcome of an event (Jeong, Y.H. 2021).

Outcome goals can focus on two things…

1) The way things turn out (the end point of an event). For example – Qualify in the top ten at the final race of the year and / or complete a 3-hour 30-minute marathon.

2) Intrinsic motivation / goals (holds relevance and inspires you). For example – Race in a country you’ve never travelled to.

Most importantly, this goal type should take work to achieve but is not impossible. Something you are excited to do and will push your limits in trying to do so.

Why set Outcome Goals?

Outcome goals provide direction and are a source of motivation, with specific achievements to strive for, helping focus attention (Williamson, O. 2022). Throughout the season this will require you to think about how your actions affect your outcome goals success, helping you maintain your performance and sustain effort.

What to look out for

Reviews have found outcome goals focusing on normative and goal-based comparisons have potential to hinder performance improvements and lead to nonadaptive psychological responses (Williamson, O. 2022). This is often due to them being out of our control, with several factors affecting their achievability. For example, qualifying in the top ten, could be affected by… other competitors, injury, travel delays, sickness, or equipment failure, to name a few variables. This is why you should set more than one.

What if I don’t achieve any of my outcome goals?

Not achieving them is not as bad as it sounds. It doesn’t make you a bad athlete or mean you haven’t worked your hardest. Simply, sometimes things don’t work out how we want and there is nothing we can do about it. For example, you do not complete your A race due to equipment failure. So, if the outcome goals aren’t met, what have you achieved? This is where performance and process goals come in to play. These goal types aim to enable your outcome goals, however just achieving performance and process goals still shows a successful season.

What are Performance Goals?

Performance goals focus on achieving specific aspects of personal and performance outcomes and help you see whether you are on track to achieve your outcome goals, by helping improve performance standards (Jeong, Y.H. 2021) This goal type can increase engagement, enjoyment, and attention focus, with the additional benefit of facilitating the reduction of anxiety symptoms (Williamson, O. 2022).

What do Performance Goals look like?

Performance goals should be specific, measurable, and positive. With time periods of short, medium, and long term to help you stay motivated. Remember, these goals need to help you to achieve your outcome goals. For example…

Outcome goal – Complete 3-hour 30-minute marathon.

Performance goals:

· Short term – Run 20 – 30 miles per week.

· Medium term - Run a 45:39 10k/ pace of 7-minute mile.

· Long term - Run a 1:41 half marathon / pace of 7:20-minute mile.

What are Process Goals?

Process goals specifically target skills, behaviours, actions, and strategies, essential to task execution, they often relate to the execution of your training process and is a process you will need to follow to achieve your outcome goal (Jeong, Y.H. 2021).

Why set Process Goals?

Research reviews show they can lead to improved self-efficacy, intrinsic interest, and satisfaction (Williamson, O. 2022). Goals focusing on task execution which were manageable and achievable, are shown to be more effective due to an increased sense of control.

Self-efficacy enhances decision making and increases motivational intentions, positively correlating with sporting performance (Hepler & Feltz, 2012; Moritz et al., 2000). Process goals give us things to achieve along the way. These can build in difficulty throughout a season, to make your sport and training more enjoyable through achievement and control. With the additional benefit of improving the belief in your own capabilities.

How do I set Process Goals?

Process goals should span from short term (monthly), medium term (3 months), and long term (6 months / season). Process goals are steppingstones to achieve your outcome goal, so how can a desired outcome be achieved? Firstly, think about the outcome goal. Where am I at now in relation to my outcome goal and what will I have to do to achieve the outcome I want?

Outcome goal – Complete 3-hour 30-minute marathon.

Process goals:

Short term – Specifically target running technique to improve endurance sustainability.

Medium term – Prioritise nutrition to optimise training and recovery.

Long term – Complete all training sessions.

Goal Getting Example

Outcome goal

· Complete 3-hour 30-minute marathon.

Performance goals:

· Short term – Run 20 – 30 miles per week.

· Medium term - Run a 45:39 10k/ pace of 7-minute mile.

· Long term - Run a 1:41 half marathon / pace of 7:20-minute mile.

Process goals:

· Short term – Specifically target running technique to improve endurance sustainability.

· Medium term – Prioritise nutrition to optimise training and recovery.

· Long term – Complete all training sessions.

To achieve your best and have a fulfilling season you need to decide how you want it to end and what you want to achieve over the course of the season. Remember, this should push your limits but not be impossible! What are three things you want to achieve over this season which will push you to the limit?

Next, your performance goals must focus on aspects of your outcome goals. Think about what you need to do performance wise to achieve your outcome goal. In other words, what do you need to do to your performance to achieve your desired season outcome. If you want to run a race at a specific pace and time, how can you build your performance to achieve this?

Now focus on the process which will enable these goals to happen. Target skills, behaviours, actions, and strategies. How will your training process help you achieve your performance goals?

By combining all 3 goal types you are guaranteed to improve your performance and achieve your best.

References

Williamson, O., Swann, C., Bennett, K.J., Bird, M.D., Goddard, S.G., Schweickle, M.J. and Jackman, P.C., (2022) The performance and psychological effects of goal setting in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, pp.1-29.

Locke, E. A., Shaw, K. N., Saari, L. M., & Latham, G. P. (1981) Goal setting and task performance: 1969– 1980. Psychological Bulletin, 90(1), 125152.

Hepler, T. J., & Feltz, D. L. (2012) Take the first heuristic, self-efficacy, and decision-making in sport. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 18(2), PP 154–16.

Moritz, S. E., Feltz, D. L., Fahrbach, K. R., & Mack, D. E. (2000) The relation of self-efficacy measures to sport performance: A meta-analytic review. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71(3), PP 280– 294

Jeong, Y.H., Healy, L.C. and McEwan, D., (2021) The application of goal setting theory to goal setting interventions in sport: A systematic review. International review of sport and exercise psychology, pp.1-26.

Tim Pigott