Bodyzone

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TEMPTATION TO ABANDON A LONG-HELD GOAL OR DREAM CAN BE OVERWHELMING, BUT YOU CAN GET BACK ON TRACK, SAYS ANDREA OAKES.

Had your big plans dashed again? It might not be time to give up just yet. Reviewing and re-framing your aims might be enough to get things back on track.

While we usually go about pursuing our goals with the best of intentions, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of thorough groundwork in the early stages. According to sport and performance psychologist Camilla Henderson, this is often why things unravel further down the line.

“It’s common to set big goals, whether that’s with a horse or maybe at work, only to see them slip through our fingers and consequently cause us stress,” she explains. “Before we look at what to do when it’s all gone wrong, the key issue is how can we prevent what’s happening in the first place?

In her work with equestrian athletes, Camilla identifies the desired outcome before focusing on two types of goal: performance and process. Performance goals are tangible achievements, such as setting a target for double clear rounds or percentage dressage scores, while the more controllable process goals outline what we need to do to reach these performance targets.

“The process goals are the real meat,” she explains. “These can be divided into sections, using the ‘four corners’ model: • Psychological: these might include the use and application of certain mental skills such as self-talk, visualisation, breathing or mindfulness practice in training, or working on core psychological areas such as focus, mental toughness and commitment. • Physical: looking after yourself as a rider: building core strength and fitness, for example, or working on diet and nutrition. • Technical: this is about up-skilling: work at home and specific developmental practice – certain transitions, or passage, for example. Volume training and repetition may be needed in this phase, which is often the focus out of season.

• Tactical: planning how to overcome challenges, maybe with a horse who is nervous in the warm-up or when a spooky flowerpot poses problems in the arena. “It’s important to measure development with process goals, perhaps by scoring yourself out of 10 in these areas every couple of weeks,” she continues. “You may need to remind yourself to use a mantra, for example, or to keep up your strength and condition training. But as long as you know what your end goal looks and feels like, these tangible steps forward will help take you there.”

What happens when we start to doubt whether our goal is achievable, or indeed still sensible? Might it be better to quit? “If you’re in the middle, at that horrible point when you’re stuck in the mud, you’ll know that you’re no longer moving forwards,” says Camilla. “You may be dissatisfied and lose motivation, or wonder what the point is in putting yourself through hell.

“Try to identify how you’ve become stuck, by reviewing your plans and reflecting on your progress,” she adds. “Address the issues by writing them down, however difficult this is. Ask yourself how you arrived at this crossroads and whether the reasons were within your control. If it helps, use a friend as a confidant; just having that conversation out loud can make it much clearer. This is quite often the struggle: we haven’t identified or really understood the issue.

“A rider may end up sweeping the problem under the carpet or actually doing less, a response pattern termed ‘experiential avoidance’ – cancelling lessons, no longer going to competitions or even not riding. If the goal is creating negative emotions and consequently negative avoidant behaviours, it’s worth stripping back the issue with some professional help to find out what fears and thoughts are surfacing.

“Perhaps you’re far behind through injury to yourself or your horse, or the hurdles have been beyond your control,” she adds. “Maybe you didn’t account for the variables. Be kinder to yourself if you feel it has gone beyond the point of no return, or if it’s causing you more stress than excitement, and allow yourself some time out, guilt free, before making the decision to give up.”

What’s key is to consider whether the original aim still excites you enough to work towards.

“It’s not necessarily the goal that’s the problem, but how you’ve gone about it,” she says. “Make the goal more realistic or chunk it down into smaller, more manageable tasks, perhaps enlisting extra support from a trainer or a friend. If you still want to get to that place, reset the challenge or restructure the framework and you might well do it.” T

Start off on the right foot with Camilla’s six-point plan: 1. Choose a goal that excites you, one you’re inspired by. And do it for yourself, not because you’re pleasing someone else. 2. Be realistic and manage expectations. Will your idea really fit into your lifestyle, work schedule and budget? 3. Organise your time. Minimise the lost hours, the dead time in day when you’re scrolling on your phone or at the yard and no longer being productive. Be disciplined and allocate hours for riding and reviewing goals, but also allow yourself some downtime. 4. Share your plans. Be selective: tell someone you trust and whose opinion you respect, who knows you well and also knows your horse. Use them for personal accountability; it will help once you’ve shared that goal with them. 5. Consider the obstacles ahead. What might trigger you to derail? List what might catch you off guard and what to be aware of, considering how you might mitigate or handle potential hurdles such as a big deadline at work. 6. Check in frequently. Evaluate and reflect regularly and keep track of your progress. Sunday evening is often a good time to set small goals for the coming week.