United States Eventing Association

If you’re like most people there’s a good chance you made a New Year's resolution this month, and if you’re like most there’s a really good chance you’re going to have a hard time hanging onto it past the beginning of February!

You’re not supposed to go through life, you’re supposed to grow through life, and a resolution (like any good goal) is what helps you to accomplish that. The problem is that even though you have good intentions in life, sometimes life gets in the way of your good intentions! This means (in some weird way) that life is what gets in the way of growing through life! That’s why sticking with your resolutions and achieving your goals are so important . . . and that’s where this month’s tip comes in.

A growth goal is a unique four-step goal that’s designed to help keep your train of thought on the right track. Even when life gets distracting (or disappointing) they help ensure you don’t just set goals, you achieve them. They help ensure you don’t just go through life, you grow through life! They accomplish this by following a series of four uniques steps that create a framework that gives these goals additional strength that others just don’t have.

The easiest way to describe a growth goal is to use the analogy of a map. You can’t get somewhere unless you know where you’re starting from, where you want to go, the different routes you can take, and the map you’ll use to get there. Together these four steps are what ultimately allow you to reach your desired destination (your goal). To help you make sense of these four steps, I’ve created the acronym GROW for you:

GOAL: This is where you’d like to go. This is your desired destination. Is it moving up a level, learning to do flying changes, or buying your next horse? If so, drop a pin and call your goal your destination.

REALISTIC: In order to reach your destination you must know where you’re starting from. Drop a pin on your current location (your current level of ability) and ask yourself if your destination (goal) is realistic.

OPTIONS: When you believe you can travel from your current location (ability) to your destination (goal), plan your trip by identifying several different routes (options) that can help ensure you’ll get there.

WRITE IT: Now that you know where you are (ability), where you’d like to go (goal) and how you think you can get there (routes), write them down so you have an easy-to-follow map of your journey.

Here’s a sample growth goal:

GOAL: Your destination (goal) is to move up to prelim next season

REALISTIC: You decide your goal is realistic because you're currently competing comfortably at training

OPTIONS: You decide to earn qualifying results at eight recognized events this year. List them and includes two extra events (options) in case of unexpected cancelations.

WRITE IT: Create a goal-setting journal (your map) including your destination (goal), the routes you’ll take to get there (options), and the time you plan on arriving (goal date).

I’ve always loved it when New Englanders say, “You can’t get there from here”, but if you know where you are (ability), where you want to go (goal), and the different routes you can take along the way (options), there’s no destination you can’t reach. All you need to do is grab your map, drop a few pins, and then get started on your journey!

I wish you a safe and successful 2022 and hope you’ve enjoyed my 2021 monthly tips. Look for many more motivating tips this year and email me at rideright1@gmail.com if you’d like to add one of my clinics to your road trip this year! https://pressureproofacademy.com