Get back on your horse. Quick.

Get back on the horse ASAP. A lesson from NRL performance coach Don Singe in getting back up after setbacks.

I am in an NRL Test Match environment this week. Last week ended with a loss.

This is why goals are so important. In camp, we break these goals up into 3 distinct categories for the players: 

1. Personal goals,
2. Team goals,
3. Career goals

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Without goals, it is harder to get back on the horse, and with confidence and belief, and get out there and do it all again.

Having daily actions and weekly outcomes supporting these goals drives daily motivation.

To quote Snoop Dogg, "I wanna thank me". You know who is ultimately responsible and accountable for your success. You are.

Your mindset is also a key driver. read more on have to build a grit mindset here.

However you measure or interpret your goals and the resulting actions, these are ultimately what will keep you motivated, and looking forward. Look at yourself in the eye using a mirror every morning and think about these. That is the ultimate reality check.

Informed actions drive outcomes.

After our losses against Australia and Tonga, we looked inward and got into the detail. We acknowledged and studied our opponents, where we didn’t match or outplay, or outlast them, and any accompanying insights. Our tactical play was meticulously scrutinised, discussed, and accepted, and errors placed into lesson learned folders.

We identified gaps, we tidied up small disciplines, habits, and behaviours, all driven directly by these insights. We critiqued ourselves, and the proposed actions to promote change. These plans are then revisited and balanced against measurements of daily efforts and outcomes.

We agreed, acknowledged, corrected, and moved forward with changes.

We gave ourselves permission to change by being thorough in our self-assessment and engaging with our peers, coaches and stakeholders around these insights and changes to go forward as an improved unit.

Why is this relevant?

This is similar to health, exercise, or diet-driven changes.

Starting with an assessment and the development of insights specific to you and your different categories of goals. Have you done some "real" goal setting based on what's possible and your current capabilities?

With change comes new and added routines. With these routines comes the development, and introduction of behaviours and habits. These require accountability, capability, and discipline to sustain behaviours, which in turn, will lead to outcomes.

The same as in camp:

• We want to compete and WIN (Goal)
• We want the best PREPARATION to overcome our opponents (training schedule and regime compliance).
• We want to AVOID INJURIES (Participate in recovery, self-reporting, and wellness/medical feedback loops.
• We want to be clear on our desired OUTCOMES (vision)

All this keeps us in the physical and mental condition to pursue goals and outcomes. 

We don’t let hiccups; speed bumps and handbrakes stop us from pursuing our goals. We don’t let one set of poor results or performances determine who we are. We assess, learn, and go again. We do this only because we have clearly articulated goals at a personal, team, and career level.

Setbacks are OK.

As you navigate the journey to your goals, you no doubt will have setbacks. That’s ok. Reset your head, adjust your approach if required, and go again.

Persistence without foresight will lead you to the same outcome.

Will + Ability + Consistency = Outcomes

Read that again

Now get back on your horse!

Written by: Don Singe (Performance Coach)

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