The Power of 1% Better: Develop a Strong Goal Setting Process with Theresa Giunta, MS, CMPC

Hello! Welcome to the Monkey Mind Newsletter where we provide you with the tools to be a more successful and resilient athlete and human. 

TOPIC
The Power of 1%: Developing a strong goal setting process

Have you ever heard of the “aggregation of marginal gains?” 

This principle was made popular by Dave Brailsford, the head coach of Team Sky, a professional cycling team from Great Britain. Historically, the team had average performance, until they started searching for a tiny margin of improvement in everything they did. How did this work, you ask? Brailsford stated, “the whole principle came from the idea that if you break down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improve it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.” The team and coaches began to make tiny changes in both conventional and unconventional ways that related to cycling. They tested seat cushions to find the best comfort, they tested fabrics to see which was the most wind resistant, and they even brought in a surgeon to teach the cyclists how to correctly wash their hands to minimize illness. The results spoke for themselves. During a 10 year span, the British cyclists won 178 World Championships, 66 Olympic or Paralympic gold medals and captured 5 Tour de France victories. Making percent adjustments every day took a good team to great.

The HOW:

Massive success does not require massive action. But we tend to think so when the demand is perceived as too high. Achievement of big goals requires small, daily, repeated action aimed at the goal.

Improving by 1% every day may not be noticeable, but when we stack those improvements, overtime they become a great impact. The system is greater than the goal.

MENTAL PERFORMANCE TOOL
4 steps to achieve your goals

1. Break your bigger goals into smaller weekly, then daily action steps that can be easily measured. 

2. Create a tracking system to help you stay consistent 

3. Celebrate the little successes, and set up milestones when you start to see the greater impact.

4. Adjust when needed. It's okay to make a mistake, have a failure, as long as you adapt and keep moving forward. You can bounce back, as long as you continue to make effective decisions towards your goals.

References: Atomic Habits, James Clear, 2018

CONTRIBUTOR
Theresa Giunta, MS, CMPC

Theresa is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), and founder and owner of  TG Performance, LLC. Theresa works as a Certified Mental Performance Coach, inspiring and empowering individuals to unlock their true potential, own their mindset so they can own their results in performance. Theresa is a  former 2X All American Lacrosse Player in both midfield and defense from West Chester University. Theresa understands the need for mental toughness and grit to reach the next level of performance.  Theresa has worked with clients who want to achieve their best, ranging from professional athletes,  national team athletes,  Division I, II & III collegiate programs, youth and club athletes and coaches, business professionals and healthcare workers.  With the combination of her education and experience, energy and passion working with individuals and teams, Theresa is able to connect and assist clients in their specific needs for optimal performance. She is also certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Yoga instruction. Theresa has presented at the Regional AASP conference, the Philadelphia Coaches Conference, the Athletic Department at West Chester University, for companies such as Warby Parker, Intern U, and, for  multiple Division I, II and III athletic institutions and athletes. In her free time, There enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and vacation in Ocean City, New Jersey.

• Certifications: Certified Mental Performance Consultant from AASP; Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction , 200 YTT- Yoga Certification

• Degrees: Bachelors in Psychology from West Chester University; Masters in Kinesiology, the Psychology of Human Movement, Temple University

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tgperformancemindset.com

Instagram: tgperformancemindset

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