Motivation And Goal Setting Essay

Motivation & Goal Setting
Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviours. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. Goal Setting is where we set specific targets aims that we wish to achieve, they need to be S.M.A.R.T or else they become dreams rather than believable goals. .
Goal setting is key in motivation; goals need to be clear, sharp, and realistic. To make these feel more achievable it is better to break these down into smaller medium-term goals and medium-term goals into short-term goals so that you have a clear connection between what one does every day and their long-term goals.

There are two

Goal setting can increase motivation. Goal setting is setting realistic, achievable goals which one can work towards. for example working from nothing to a 5k over a number of weeks then reviewing the plan and setting a new goal of 10k. Goals affect performance through four mechanisms. They serve as a direct function; they direct a person to relevant activities and away from the irrelevant. Goals have an energizing function; high goals can produce more effort than low goals. The harder it is to achieve the harder one will work. Goals affect persistence, some will work harder to achieve a goal in a tighter deadline however some with a lower intensity of work will achieve goals over a prolonged period. Goals are affected by arousal, if one is interested and excited by a goal they will achieve

Goals should always. Be Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic and Time limited. As in the example above one must consider is 5k run achievable. It is specific distance and activity, and it is measurable. If the task if too difficult the participant May lose interest. Although it is important to review goals and observe how far one has come, how much one has achieved. However as one achieves more they may become more complacent, efforts can reduce for this reason it is essential to remain goal focused. Remaining motivated and persisting with goals over a sustained period can be difficult. There are techniques which can assist an individual to remain motivated. Imagery in sport is useful techniques that can assist one remain motivated. Imagery has been described as “an experience that mimics real experience, and involves using a combination of different sensory modalities in the absence of actual perception”. For example a national football team preparing for the World Cup might use imagery in visualising themselves in the final, lifting the World Cup, scoring goals, penalties etc., not only visualising but imaging how it will feel. This technique motivates them but also can assist in reducing stress at the time of the event. Research has shown that imagery can prevent one "choking", where an athlete can imagine a pressure situation they can perform on automatic pilot rather than the pressure affecting