“You’ve got to remember what your priorities are. When you’re playing, what you do on the field is the most important thing” Peyton Manning

Setting your goals and planning out how to reach them is essential in every football players endeavors in to improve their football mental game.

Whether you are planning to lower your weight or trying gain a new technique, you have to prioritize what you want to accomplish and establish a plan for getting there.

Most players drift more or less aimlessly from day to day and year to year, without having a proper goal and setting priorities accordingly.

To accomplish your team goals, you must set out daily priorities for each practice.

Goals and priorities are not the same. Goals are the map you have set for yourselves for the year. Priorities are the roads you travel each day to reach your destination.

When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals in your mind, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.

In football, each team you face will present different obstacles. Some may have a great defense, stopping you in your tracks. Others may have a great offense, penetrating your team defenses and scoring points against you, ultimately defeating you.

To win the game, you need to observe your opponent, do your research and prioritize your response.

The key to winning is to prioritize your actions. If your opponent has a great defense, you need to strategize and set priorities to get past their line of scrimmage. You, as the quarterback, need to throw a decisive and well placed pass down field to move forward.

A daily priority list is not to cause stress; it is only to give direction and a plan for action. Any important priority that was not completed can always be moved to the top of the next day’s list.

The goals for the year are your dreams. The daily priorities are the actions, which with dedication, focus and work you can and will accomplish.

Players who have a lot to do usually accomplish the most, not necessarily by working longer but instead by setting priorities and focusing on getting them done one at a time until a bigger goal has been reached.

They continually take care of their football mind by focusing on techniques, being the masters and not the slaves of their time and experiencing the great feeling of accomplishment as each day they cross off one more items from their daily priority list.

Set your football goals first.

Then, set a one to three-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to achieve your goals and improve your football confidence.

Keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating your goals and priorities. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your goals when you do so.

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