You wouldn’t go on a journey to a new place without a map. So, don’t go on your cricket journey without goals.

Research has has shown over the years that a measurable improvement in team and individual performance comes from a result of good goal setting.

Of course, goal setting is not a new idea to cricket. In 1984 Richard Hadlee put goal setting down as one of the main reasons the Kiwi hero scored 1179 runs and took 117 wickets in an English summer.

There’s nothing stopping you following his example, or the example of thousands of other successful cricketers who set goals.

What is often ill-considered is how you set goals for maximum runs and wickets.

You can’t just shout about how you are going to score at least a thousand runs this year and hope weather, bowling and luck go your way.

Fortunately, being smart about goals takes less time than it will to read the rest of this article.

Here’s what to do.

Be specific but realistic

Like I mentioned before, setting a number target is tempting because it’s easy. It sounds good and puts a hard pass or fail marker down. Score a thousand runs and hit your target!

While a number is specific, it’s rarely realistic.

What if you get a duck, have a game rained off, have a low run chase where you get a lovely 20 not out, then play a stupid shot? You’re on 20 runs after four games and a thousand seems a long way off.

On the other hand, what if you have a dream start? You score 700 runs in the first half of the season and a thousand seems easy. Some people might take their foot off the gas a bit and cruise.

Instead of these pitfalls, make a point of having a target that you have a chance of meeting if you push yourself.

If you’re a batsman, consider performance goals like runs scored batting first (or contribution to a chase), or compare yourself to teammates or other players in your league (make more runs than any other non-professional for example).

Bowlers can do similar; be the most economical or highest wicket taker in the league, or your team. Count chances created rather than wickets taken. Look at influential spells that change games.

Whatever your skill, you can also set targets outside of the game,

• Training sessions attended
• New skills developed
• Improvements in strength, mobility, speed or endurance
• Development of a game plan

Measure what you can

Measurement is an important part of goal setting. That’s why a plain number target is so tempting. You can see how you are doing and get motivated as you drive towards your goal.

Except for two things,

1. Not every goal can be measured effectively
2. If you are miles off your goal, you can be demotivated

If you can find a way to measure, it’s best to do it. However, don’t sweat things too much if your goal is hard to measure but you are seeing results on the field.

If you have developed a new slower ball and you try it in a game and it gets a wicket - and builds your confidence - then an exact measurement is not a vital aspect.

Also, if you have misjudged your target and your measurement shows how much you are failing, you will stop striving for success. So, take care when measuring.

Nevertheless, where it is simple to measure, it’s a good idea as you can see your progress rather than feel it (which we are not very good at as humans). You can measure things like runs and wickets, weight lifted in the gym and number of training sessions attended.

If you get clever you can also measure more tricky things; body weight, chances taken or even sleep quality are all possible goals to consider.

Reflect and review

Finally, tied to your goals is a regular review.

When you look at the goal, you can decide if it was as specific and realistic as you thought. If it wasn’t, you’re allowed to change it to make it so. This is not giving up, it’s simply adjusting your goal based on reality.

This regular reflection on your goal stops you losing motivation if external factors have stopped you from getting on target.

Say you have a 50 wicket target for the season and you fall well behind because of bad weather and your team-mates snagging all the poles by being in supreme form. There is no harm in deciding that 50 is no longer realistic and adjusting to something that is still a challenge but not impossible.

Of course, you need to be honest. If you have just played poorly you need to decide if a 50 wicket target was ever realistic, and if it wasn’t, perhaps you need a better target: like hitting your lengths more often in practice, monitored on PitchVision.

Goal setting for cricket

In summary, goal setting is not new, but it is effective when done well.

• Be specific about your goal, but be realistic about what you can control.
• Don’t restrict our goal to just runs and wickets. There are lots of goals that will help.
• Measure your goals where possible, but be careful of demotivation.
• Avoid demotivation by regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals.