New Year, New Gi: Setting (and keeping) your 2024 goals
Hello fellow Demons!
With January almost (finally) over, we thought it would be a good time to check in and introduce our Oni Blog! We'll be sharing monthly news and updates on all things BJJ.
With that in mind, in today’s post we wanted to address jiu-jitsu goals for 2024. We hope your year has started well and you're fully embracing the grind. Whether you are a hobbyist or a frequent competitor goal-setting is key for helping you to progress your game. Here are some of our tips to help you set and achieve your 2024 goals.
Discover the deeper “why” behind your goals.
First ask yourself WHY you want to achieve certain goals in 2024.
Perhaps you want to get a belt promotion this year? Or maybe you want to compete a certain number of times or win a tournament? Or your goal might be even more focused, for example closing a perceived skill gap in your game?
Whatever the goal, try to understand the deeper purpose behind it. Maybe the deeper purpose behind a belt promotion or desire to win a tournament might be to push yourself harder to improve certain areas of your jiu-jitsu?
Or if you have the goal of increasing your attendance, perhaps the deeper purpose could be to get fitter, have more self-confidence or make more social connections?
When you understand your WHY for each jiu-jitsu goal at a deeper level, managing your motivation levels, dealing with setbacks, and measuring your progress will be easier.
Ensure that your goal has a TOWARD rather than AWAY FROM motivation.
Once you have uncovered your WHY behind each goal, make sure that the motivation is TOWARD a result that you want rather than AWAY FROM an outcome you don’t want.
A good example of this might be the goal of wanting to attain a belt promotion this year. A TOWARD motive could be that you want this because it will motivate you toward improving your skill level.
However, if you’ve put pressure on yourself to achieve that belt promotion by a certain date, the deeper motive could be to get away from the perceived shame or embarrassment as a result of missing your self-imposed deadline.
The reason this is important is because goals which have TOWARD motives are proven to be more energizing and sustainable than goals with AWAY FROM motives.
Therefore, be honest with yourself and tweak your goals if you feel that they may have traces of AWAY FROM traits.
Focus on the PROCESS not the OUTCOME.
Last but not least make sure that you are focusing on the PROCESS rather than the OUTCOME. Think of all of the small, incremental steps that you need to take to achieve your goal.
Map out your learning journey: what instructional DVDs you want to study and what you want to practice in class?
However, it is important to accept that the path in jiu-jitsu is never a linear one. There will be many obstacles you encounter along the way, like work, family and social commitments, as well as dreaded injuries. In these challenging circumstances, adhering too closely to your desired outcome will only create stress and anxiety.
Focusing on how you can adjust your processes and timelines to account for these challenges will make you more resilient and l keep you on track. Remember that the demon is in the detail!
Good luck!
We hope that you found these tips useful and wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of becoming a real mat demon!
Please keep an eye out for updates on our Instagram page and website. We have lots of exciting plans for 2024 regarding content and new products so make sure that you don’t miss out.
Many thanks
The ONI Team