The new year has arrived! Time to reflect on the past 12 months and start to plan for the future. January is the start of the domestic competition season for my sport of Paracanoe. So, it is the perfect time to set goals for the coming year and the next Paralympic cycle. Goal setting is an important part of being an athlete and I thought I would share some of my tips.

Essentially, goal setting is breaking down the actions or behaviours you need to do to achieve what you want. In my sport, our performance goals are written down and signed off by our coach so we stay accountable. It is a good idea to at least write down your goals and even better if you can share them with a supportive friend or family member who will help you stay on track.

The strategy I use is called SMART goals, which was invented by Doran in 1981. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time. The first step is to be specific and clear on what you want to achieve. I write down the competitions I want to compete in and what performance results I am aiming for.  Step two, measurable is about how you will evaluate your progress. In sport, we do time trials and gather a lot of data during training to analyse if we are on track. Step three, achievable (or attainable) is about making sure you are capable of achieving your goal and how exactly you will do it. In sport (and life) there are many things that are out of our control so I would make sure my goal doesn’t depend on external factors. Step four, realistic (or relevant) relates to how committed you are to reaching your goal and whether you have the resources to achieve it. And finally, time is about setting a deadline for your goals, after which you can celebrate your achievement. Let us know in the comments what your goals are for 2022!

About the author:

Susan Seipel is a diverse para-athlete with a background in swimming, equestrian, and is a triple World Champion in the sport of Paracanoe.

She won a Bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and was the first Australian in history to win a medal in kayak at the Paralympic level. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Susan won a silver medal in the inaugural women’s canoe event. She is currently training towards Paris 2024. 

Outside of sport, Susan is a proud ambassador for the RSPCA Queensland and is passionate about animal welfare.

http://www.susanseipel.com