Page 39 - Fully Equipped Playbook

GOAL SETTING
I didn't achieve every single one of those goals, but I saw a few come to fruition. I even reached some of them to a degree, getting drafted 5th round, not 1st, and playing in the Big Leagues for 7 years, not 20. There are several reasons, I didn’t check off every box, and lack of effort is not one of those. It was simply because I didn’t set my goals properly.
I didn’t learn the correct way of setting goals until I was playing professional ball. I had always just set my aspirations high, put in the work and hoped for the best, but it’s much more than that. After working with one of the most well-respected sports psychologists in baseball, Ken Ravizza, and others including Howard Falco, I finally got a good grasp on the correct ways to set goals.
Let’s discuss S.M.A.R.T. GOALS
SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND
**Your ORIGINAL goal here is to become a better hitter and make varsity next year**
SPECIFIC- Be specific about what you want and why you want it. For example: I hit too many weak ground balls or lazy pop ups last season. This year I will work with someone to improve my approach. When I am hitting in the cage or in a game, I will hit with a purpose and have a line drive approach during every swing or at bat. I will hit 5 days a week.
MEASURABLE- Be sure you can measure your progress. For example: Keep track of the days you are hitting and the work you’re doing. If you have access to HitTrax or other baseball technology tools, they can track your progress for you. Also how do you feel in practice? Can you feel a difference, are you hitting better? In games if you are consistently hitting line drives or long fly balls, there’s a good chance your average and home run numbers will be higher. Those are measurable.
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