New Year, New You: Goal Setting as a Rodeo Athlete

It’s a new year and with that comes 365 days of new opportunities. This could be your year to win that rodeo you’ve been dreaming of or take your skills to the next level. You’re putting in the work in the arena and the practice pen, but you need a little more focus to figure out how to achieve your dreams. That’s where goal setting is helpful. 

  As rodeo athletes, planning is vital, and setting goals makes these plans come to fruition. Every time you accomplish goals, you set new ones, and the process continues as your journey progresses. But how do you figure out what your goals should be? Maybe you dream of the NFR. Or of winning the saddle and buckle at your hometown rodeo. To accomplish these dreams, you need to break your plan down into tangible steps and map out the road to your next destination.

  Using the format of SMART goals can be particularly helpful in these scenarios. SMART is an acronym that describes the setup of these goals. The “S” stands for specific, the “M” is for measurable, the “A” for achievable, the “R” for relevant, and the “T” for time-bound. 

   To begin defining your goals based on the SMART format, start by writing down the dream or thing you want to accomplish. Then, apply each word to it and write out how they connect together. Don’t worry about making it perfect and instead consider this like a brainstorming session. You can refine after you get your initial thoughts down and find your rhythm of seeing how it all fits together. You will likely find your dream consists of lots of mini goals within it.

   So, let’s say you write down that you want to improve your catch rate in the roping pen and be more consistent with your success. Think about a way to capture this specifically based on your current success rate. Maybe you want to catch 3 out of every 5 steers or calves instead of your current 1 out of 5. Or perhaps you could say you want to make a clean catch on every 7 out of 10 runs you make. By considering your current abilities and where you want to be, you are leaving room for growth.

However, you don’t want to only set perfection-based goals. Even the best roper in the world will miss on occasion. It’s just a part of being human. It’s also important to think about how you will do this. Will you rope the dummy more? Work with a trainer to improve your swing? Work on your mental game in the box? Once you know why you need to make changes you can identify the best changes to make for the overall result you want.

  After you establish that specific aspect of your SMART goals, move on to the measurable aspect. If you are going to improve your catch rate and consistency, then you need to be tracking your catch rate and define how you are going to record it. Will you be putting notes on your phone? Using a notebook you keep in the horse trailer as your log book? What details will you write down about those runs?

  Now that you have defined how you will evaluate your progress, think about whether your goal feels both achievable and relevant. Are the actions you need to take to accomplish this goal something that you can do with the resources you currently have? And are those milestones that come from the actions aligning with your big picture plan?

 Lastly, make sure to incorporate the time-bound aspect of goal setting. Assign a due date to these goals to help hold yourself accountable. For additional accountability, consider sharing them with friends who can check in on your progress or even post them on your wall or mirror where you see them daily.

  This is your year. Seize the moment and get going with your goals!