Your First Step to Achieving Your Golf and Fitness Goals for 2014 is to Set Achievable Goals!

Goals are a crucial part of improving your game.  Obviously, without a clear idea of what you actually want to achieve,  it is very unlikely that you will ever achieve it. The more detailed your target is, the more real it becomes and the more your brain will focus its efforts to achieve it. In order for your goals to be effective, they must fulfill the following criteria:

SPECIFIC

The more specific a goal the better. Here are examples:  “My goal is to get down to a 9.5 handicap within 6 months of committing to my game-improvement plan.” Or “My goal is to break 100 within 3 months. Or “I exercise three times a week for 45 minutes. I volunteer at The First Tee once a month.”

MEASURE

All goals must be measurable. Keeping score in both social and competitive rounds of golf will enable you to chart your level of performance and progress on a regular basis. You can also chart other stats such as putts per round or fairways and greens hit in regulation. Also, keep a calendar just for your fitness and golf practice. Mark off the days you exercise or go to the practice range to show yourself how you are making an effort.

PLAN

You must have a plan of how you are going to achieve your goals.  Write out a monthly workout schedule to follow.  Make sure that you have a practice program to take with you to the practice range with specific drills and exercises focusing on the weakest areas of your game.

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Take the Cardiogolf 30-Day Putting Challenge.  Putting is usually the weakest part of most high-handicappers game and the easiest part to improve if you spend some time working at it.  The Cardiogolf 30-Day Putting Challenge guides you through a putting program that takes just 5 minutes a day.  In 30 days you can take 5 to 10 strokes off your game, just by avoiding 3-putts.  Click here to take the Cardiogolf 30-Day Putting Challenge Today.

ACHIEVABLE

This may be the most difficult part of the goal-setting process. A goal that is too easy to achieve is worthless. Likewise, setting a goal of trying to get down to a single-digit handicap in two months if you are currently a 30-handicapper is unrealistic. Set a target that will stretch your capabilities but which is still achievable.

For any goal to be achievable it must also be realistic. For a beginner to become a single-digit handicap in just two months is asking a lot, but a mid to high-handicap golfer should be capable of lowering his or her score by 5 to 6 shots within this same time period. You will know in your heart if your goals are achievable and realistic.

TIME

For a goal to be effective, it must have a time limit. I recommend you set goals in one month increments to try to achieve your specific goals as well as yearly goals.  For example: My ultimate goal for the year is to decrease my handicap from a 12 to a 9.5. But my monthly or weekly goals are to spend time working on specific part of my game and exercising.   It is easier to set goals of practicing in small increments than trying to achieve your ultimate goal all at once.

WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS

Studies show that people that write down their goals have a better chance of achieving their goals, than those who don’t. Take some time and write down a few goals for your to start achieving in 2014.  Review them often.  Once you have a goal in mind, you can then start to plan how you will go about achieving that goal.

Share your goals with others.  Sharing goals with other people makes you accountable to achieve those goals.  You don’t have to post them on Facebook for the whole world to see, but do tell a trusted friend how you are trying to attain a goal. Having those closest to you in on your plans can mean daily, invaluable support and assistance.

Good Luck in 2014-Make it Your Best Year Ever!