In our 2023 review, we delved deeper into setting goals and building habits, and this year we thought we’d talk more about how to ensure that you stay on track with these goals as the year goes on! Here are our top 7 tips:

#1 – Break down bigger goals into smaller ones

Setting big goals are great, but they can sometimes feel overwhelming and very far away on their own! That’s why we like to set smaller, more manageable milestones towards our bigger goals to ensure we’re staying motivated on the way to that bigger goal.

For example, your goal might be to play in a higher level tournament (e.g. Gold domestic tournament in England), so it can be useful to set smaller milestones in order to get there. For example, to medal at a lower level tournament (Bronze domestic tournament).

Or, if your goal is to improve your smash power, you can break it down further into the different components of improving your smash, such as footwork, technique or strength. Then, you can set goals to improve each of these areas, which will then eventually help you improve your smash power!

Make sure you recognise and celebrate achieving these smaller goals too

#2 – Track your progress

For example, you can keep a journal of your training sessions and tournaments so you always know what you’re doing well and what you need to work more on. This also enables you to do more purposeful practice during training, which is something we speak a lot about!

Another example is if you’re not great at getting your strength and conditioning sessions in, you can also create a habit tracker to ensure you stay on track. You can even make it into a little game and give yourself a reward after completing a certain amount of sessions in the gym.

#3 – Have regular check-ins

Having regular check-ins with another person is a great way to keep yourself accountable towards your goals. This can be with your coach, training partner or even a friend that would be willing to help you stay on track!

They don’t have to be lengthy check-ins, but they are aimed at reminding yourself of your goals, celebrating any improvements and seeing if any adjustments are needed. We’d recommend doing this either every month or every quarter and actually scheduling these into your calendar so you don’t miss them, especially as we get later into the year!

#4 – Develop habits

Having habits that are part of your daily or weekly schedule will help you continue to put in the work to achieve your goals, even when life gets in the way!

We love habit stacking, and as professional players we’re in a pretty good habit of training every day but what we now do is add on tasks before or after these sessions that will help us achieve our goals.

This might be to read for 10 minutes whilst having breakfast before the session (rather than scrolling on our phones!), or maybe to film a video every Monday after our session.

#5 – Be clear on your ‘why’

Understanding ‘why’ you are doing something will play a huge factor in being able to stay motivated and on track with positive actions towards your goals. Whether it’s to play a specific tournament, to win the league with your club, to enjoy playing badminton once a week, or even to improve your fitness and health so you that you’ll be able to play with your son or daughter when they grow up – everyone has their own unique ‘why’!

Your ‘why’ is what will help push you through the times where you don’t want to follow through with your positive habits, so it’s important that it is one that you really believe in!

#6 – Stay flexible and adaptable to setbacks

Setbacks and unexpected events are inevitable, whether it’s an injury, a loss in a tournament, or even something simple like scheduling conflicts that disrupt your training. Instead of letting these derail your progress, it’s important to be able to adapt and find alternative ways to stay on track.

Our old coach always used to say to us ‘injury is opportunity’. For example, if you sprain your ankle and can’t practice on court, you can instead focus on your upper-body strength or learning more about tactics.

This allows you to maintain a positive mindset, knowing that these challenges are simply a part of the bigger journey. And again, ensuring you stand by your ‘why’!

#7 – Enjoy the process

Is this one cheesy? Yes. Have we said it before? Yes. Regardless, it’s so important to remember to have FUN – the journey is a lot longer than the destination, so make sure you enjoy the journey!