Goal setting has become a popular subject amongst equestrians. You don’t have to look far to find goal setting journal or workshop encouraging us to set SMART goals. But what happens when those goals aren’t met? Or when the pressure to achieve them becomes overwhelming?
In sports psychology, there’s another powerful concept that can be just as important, if not more so than goals: values. While goals and values are closely related, they are distinctly different, and understanding the difference can have a profound impact on a riders performance, mental health, and long-term success.
What Are Goals?
Goals are specific, measurable outcomes that riders can set to push themselves forward. Examples of goals might include:
- Competing at elementary level
- Scoring 70% at a dressage test
- Completing a fun ride
- Qualifying for a championship
Goals give us direction, clarity, and a concrete target to work toward. They’re an essential part of performance and can provide motivation and structure.
What Are Values?
Values, on the other hand, are the deeper, guiding principles that shape how an individual shows up both in their riding and in life. Unlike goals, values aren’t something you “achieve” or complete—they’re about the kind of rider you want to be and the way you want to approach challenges and experiences. Values are broad, enduring, and align with your personal identity and purpose.
Examples of values might include:
- Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks and keep going.
- Discipline: The commitment to consistently putting in the effort, even when it’s difficult.
- Integrity: Competing fairly and staying true to personal and professional ethics.
- Growth: Constantly seeking improvement and learning, regardless of success or failure.
Values are the foundation of motivation. They drive us to keep pushing forward, even when external rewards aren’t on the horizon. Values help us find meaning in our pursuit and give us the inner strength to keep going when we face obstacles.
The Key Differences Between Goals and Values
Goals are specific and measurable. They are short-term objectives that are tied to particular outcomes (e.g., a time, a score, or a place).
Values are broad and abstract. They represent your underlying principles and desired way of being, rather than something you can measure or achieve in a fixed timeframe.
Goals focus on what you want to achieve (e.g., qualifying for a championship).
Values focus on how you want to approach the journey (e.g., showing respect, embracing challenges, working hard every day).
Goals are often about achieving a particular end result.
Values are about creating a continuous process that aligns with your deeper sense of purpose, regardless of the outcome.
Goals can be easily measured. You either achieve them or you don’t.
Values are harder to quantify because they are about a way of being, not something with a defined endpoint.
Why Focusing on Values Is Important for Riders
While goals provide short-term motivation and direction, focusing solely on goals can have unintended negative consequences. When riders place all their worth in reaching a specific goal, they often experience stress, frustration. This can also lead to a negative self-concept: “I’m not good enough if I don’t achieve X.”
On the other hand, when riders prioritize values in their approach, they create a more resilient, sustainable, and fulfilling pathway to success.
For example, let’s imagine there are two riders. They have both set a goal of qualifying for Area Festivals at Novice level. Rider one is purely focused on the goal of qualifying. However, rider two is more focused on her values of continuously learning and building a harmonious partnership with their horse. Both riders attend a competition at their local venue which does not go well. Rider one becomes frustrated and annoyed that she has missed an opportunity to gain a qualifying score. Rider two is initially disappointed but reflects on her value of continued learning and takes it as an opportunity to learn and progress. In the run up to Area’s rider one starts to become anxious, feeling the pressure to get a good score. Rider two is focused on her values of developing the partnership between her and her horse, she feels a good score will reflect that but if not she knows she will keep work on developing the partnership with her horse, after all ups and downs are all part of the journey. After Areas rider one becomes demotivated as she has nothing to guide her focus. However, rider two draws from the feedback from her test sheets to build process goals to help develop her horse rider partnership.
Integrating Values and Goals
So, in conclusion how can we bring both values and goals together to achieve optimal performance and mental well-being?
- Set Values-Based Goals:
While goals are important, you can create goals that align with your values. For example, if you value growth, set goals that challenge you to improve your technique. This way, your goals become part of a larger journey of self-improvement, not just a win or loss.
- Use Values to Guide Action:
When setting goals, ask yourself: How can I approach this goal in a way that reflects my core values? For example, if you value resilience, think about how you’ll handle setbacks along the way. If you value continual learning look for opportunities to learn.
- Reflect Regularly on Your Values:
Regularly check in with yourself to ensure your actions are in line with your values. Ask yourself: Are you competing with integrity? Are you showing respect, both to yourself, others and most importantly your horse? Are you pushing through challenges with resilience? Regular reflection helps you stay grounded in your values, no matter how high the stakes become.
- Embrace the Process, Not Just the Outcome:
While achieving goals can be exciting, remember that the process is just as important. If you focus on the journey—learning, growing, and showing up in alignment with your values—you’ll find fulfillment and satisfaction, regardless of the specific outcome.
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