It’s been a full year since I published the article new year’s resolutions for 2017 . It is that time of the year to start setting goals for 2018. It is wise to think of the year you want and set basketball goals accordingly so that your basketball career is moving in the direction you want it to be.
2017 in review
How was 2017 for you? Did you set yourself goals prior to beginning the year? If so, did you meet all or most of them?
This time last year when I wrote my article new year’s resolutions for 2017 and my main goal was to lean out (lose weight). I had gained a lot of weight due to a poor diet and lack of exercise in 2015 and boy was I fat. This really affected me and hurt my self esteem. I asked myself, how did I get this way?
The great thing is that I got disciplined and worked my ass off and now I can tell you that I am lean and I have my abs back. Since writing the article a year ago I have dropped 12kg and looking to be in the best shape in my entire life.
How I achieved my 2017 goals
I get asked how I dropped so much weight in a year and stack on lean muscle. It was simple, I got emotional. I was disgusted with the way I looked and how out of shape I was. This emotional feeling motivated me. In an article I wrote losing weight and getting fit for basketball I explained some of the methods I used to lean out.
As a result of getting in shape my basketball dramatically improved. So much so that I am able to play against rep basketball players and played in the SBL super league this year. Not too bad for a 39 year old.
What are your 2018 basketball goals?
Now that 2017 is nearly done what is your plan for 2018? Do you want to play college basketball? Do you want to go pro? Do you have a plan?
I have been working with some players in Sydney and the guys have some big things in sight for 2018. But do they have a plan? I’m not sure they do. But here’s how you can stay ahead.
First step to having a productive 2018 is to set yourself basketball goals. There’s 5 questions to ask yourself when setting goals.
They are:
- What is it that you want to achieve in the long run with basketball? Play college in USA? Play pro in Europe? Or is it playing in a rep team?
- Where are you now with your basketball? Are you already in college? How far away are you from your dream? What is the next step up from you?
- What are your weaknesses on the court? What are the skills that you need to improve to get to the next step?
- What are your strengths? What worked for you this season? What improved this season and what did you do on the offseason to improve?
- What’s your weekly schedule look like?
To get a better understanding and direction on setting basketball goals be sure to check out an article I wrote about setting goals in 2016.
These 5 questions to ask yourself when setting goals will enable you to set measurable goals that you can track throughout the year. After all, you do need something measurable to check if you are heading on the right path.
How to action your basketball goals
This is where self discipline comes into play. You need to ensure that you are accountable to your goals. This can be super tough as it is easy to miss a day then a week and soon a month of staying the course. This has many an impact on training and the final outcome that you desire in the year. I’ve been there, I know how hard it is.
This is where a mentor can help. Find another person to set your goals with. Share them with your partner and have them hold you to these goals. You can also hold them accountable to their goals.
You can also chose to get a mentor. Someone that was a former player with a reliable basketball career. They don’t need to be NBA or NBL players. Even players that have had rep experience. There are so many former and current basketball players whose experience you can leverage. You just need to reach out to them. My recommendation is coach or a trainer.
Have them check in on you time to time, weekly if possible. Two weeks would be the maximum amount of time I’d take between check ins. Anything more you could tray the course and pick up bad habits.
Setting goals is a great way of staying on course and achieving a lot in the game of basketball. Goals also prevents you from being distracted by the insignificant. Things that will take you away from your main focus.
Stick to your plan and work hard.
Happy new year and I wish you the greatest success on court!