136 SIDELINES JANUARY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
The other exception is
when clients have goals and
do not know the process
involved in achieving their
goal. I believe most people
fail to achieve their goals
due to either of the above
exceptions. Fear of success
and failure are two other
psychological phenomena,
which can also inhibit goal
attainment.
Goals and dreams have to
be your own, otherwise you
can’t believe in them if they
are someone else’s goals or
dreams for you. Looking to
a “new year,” like Eleanor
Roosevelt’s quote in the
headline, offers new hope
and enthusiasm. Having
dreams for the future add
excitement, direction and
motivation to your life and
may keep you depression
free.
An important question to
ask yourself is how many
dreams or goals can I
realistically work toward at
one time? The answer to
this question is different for
each person. If you have
goals of high achievement in
several aspects of your life,
you may have to time the
achievement of these goals
e
Sports Psychology
“The Future Belongs To Those
Who Believe in Their Dreams”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
By Ann S. Reilly, Ph. D.
It is customary around the New Year to make resolutions,
which are usually commitments to personal growth or
achievement of success. The New Year can also be a
time when people reflect on their goals and dreams and
assess where they stand in achievement of their goals.
Any writer, speaker or professional in the business
of performance enhancement will suggest in their work
that goals are very important to achieving success. I do
agree, with two exceptions. Some clients I work with
(perfectionists) are so focused on achieving the outcome
goal or dream; they get themselves tied up in knots over
being perfect and lose sight of the process involved in
achieving their goal.
Continued on page 143
Ann S. Reilly, Ph.D. is a sport psychologist and author of
“A Sport Psychology Workbook for Riders,” available from
amazon.com. Questions for Ms. Reilly’s column can be
addressed to areilly627@aol.com.