There was an interview with the great baseball player Manny Ramirez in 2007. It was done by the Boston Globe during spring training, and they were asking Ramirez what his goals were for the upcoming season. His response was fascinating, and at first glance, mystifying. He stated, “I’d like to hit .280, 25 home runs and knock in 80 RBIs.” .280? What? 25 home runs? What? 80 RBIs? What? I said to myself, Manny, you just hit .340 with 50 home runs and 140 RBIs last season. What are you talking about? Are you thinking of retiring? Are you injured? Is there something wrong?

At the time I was baffled. I couldn’t understand why one of the best hitters in the game was setting goals LOWER than the accomplishments he had achieved the previous year. Not only lower, they sounded like numbers for an above average player, nothing like the numbers for one of the best hitters in the game. Little did I realize that Manny Ramirez was actually onto something, an idea that has been proven through research. Whether Ramirez did this intuitively or not, I don’t know. But he hit on a concept and an approach to goal setting that is smart and effective.

Supportive Floors or High Ceilings?
Ramirez was setting supportive floors for himself with the goals that he set in 2007. The goals that he noted that day to the Boston Globe were not a cry for mediocrity, or him losing confidence. They were actually a superior way to set himself up for success.

Supportive floors are goals that are achievable, moderate, and realistic, ones where the intention is to hopefully reach them and then go beyond it. This is opposed to high ceiling goals, which set the bar high, are very challenging, and intentionally put more stress on the athlete.

Research reveals that setting supportive floors reduces anxiety, gives us more mental flexibility, and helps us make more reflective adjustments in season. This is another Sports Psychology Paradox—by setting moderate goals, with less expectation than the year before, Ramirez was able to perform better. He proceeded to have one of the greatest years ever as a hitter, and that’s hard for anyone, even Manny Ramirez to achieve. If Ramirez had tried to go beyond what he had done previously during the entire year, he would have been pressing from Day One, and this style of goal setting simply is not what worked for him. If he had higher expectations for the coming year, this athlete would have given himself no mental “wiggle room” if he were to fall into a batting slump. He would be constantly critical of himself if he were not where he “thought” he should be with “lofty” goals, and he would press more than he already was. Instead, with these goals, if he’s in a slump, Ramirez has given himself some room—in his mind—to make an adjustment and get back on track, versus being critical of himself because he’s not.

Bear in mind that this does not mean that Ramirez does not have lofty aspirations, but the framework that he uses to get there is different. At some point during the season, Ramirez surpassed the goals he set for himself—thus giving himself positive reinforcement, good feelings about himself, and the achievement of hitting a goal. Then he kept on going towards greater goals.
Ramirez already hit his goals two-thirds of the way through the season. After that, everything he is achieving will feel better and better, as mental “icing on the cake.” The alternative would be a constant sense of chasing—nothing within grasp—and possibly a sense of frustration, which is not conducive for success. One could say that Ramirez is simply using “mind games,” or a psychological “trick” to get himself where he wants to go. Again, it’s just a different framework or strategy. The reality is that it’s wise to use whatever works best for you.

High Ceilings—Kobe Bryant
As previously discussed, an alternative approach to setting supportive floor, or goals, for oneself is the concept of “high ceilings.” Kobe Bryant was well-known for adopting this mentality, constantly pushing himself and his teammates to exceed expectations and strive for greater success. For example, one of Kobe’s career goals was to exceed Michael Jordan’s number of championships. This is an extremely lofty and demanding goal, that not many elite players would place on themselves.
The difference between Kobe’s personality and Ramirez’s is that Kobe thrived on high ceiling goals—giving himself challenges and demanding expectations. Just as Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman had different personalities and needed to be coached differently, Manny Ramirez and Kobe Bryant have different personalities and set goals differently for themselves. Kobe loved it when people doubted him; he loved enormous challenges that seemed impossible. Moreover, Kobe set a career goal, and Ramirez was setting season-long goals. Kobe, of course, had season-long goals too, but his perpetual desire for greatness was nearly unmatched.

Which Style Works for You?
Kobe had the personality, confidence, and mentality to handle the stress and demands of high ceilings, but this type of goal setting does not work for everyone. As seen above, Manny Ramirez and Kobe Bryant set goals for themselves in different ways. Setting high ceilings for yourself requires a degree of self-confidence, as well as a willingness to deal with not meeting goals, frustration, and expectations that may not be met.

What type of personality do you have? Do you respond to challenging yourself with demanding goals? Can you handle the frustration of not meeting them? Or do you prefer to have more flexibility and give yourself more space to get where you want to go?

It needs to be noted that both players went on to produce Hall of Fame numbers with two very different goal setting systems and personalities—different paths to get to the same destination. You need to find out what works for you. They also had very different leadership styles and could rub teammates the wrong way. Ramirez could be aloof; Kobe could be too demanding and egocentric. They both had their own way of doing things and didn’t yield to others.

Bouncing Back
Failure and not living up to expectations is simply part of the game—how you respond and how quickly you respond are an unseen part of success. Bouncing back, or resilience, is an indispensable ingredient to you getting better. Learning from a mistake or failure should not have to be negative. Remember that staying positive is a choice, and thus position yourself, mentally and physically, on the field and off the field to do whatever gets you to your goals as fast as possible.

Supportive Floors & High Ceilings
It is also very reasonable to set both supportive floors and high ceilings. You could set supportive floors along with some “stretch goals.” Play around with this and see what works for you. This is a fun element in the art of sport, learning to utilize the mental aspect of it to your advantage.

Goal Questions for Each Practice and Training Session
1. What are the things I can focus on that will improve my game every day?
2. If winning or losing were not an issue, what would my primary goal be?
3. What type of relationship do I want to have with my coach? Teammates?

Keys to the Game
1. Utilize Supportive Floors and High Ceilings. See what works best for you.
2. Work with the SMART Technique. Be Specific and have end times for goals.
3. Use Process Goals and Outcome Goals. Goals involve markers and outcomes. Utilize both.
4. Do the easy things first to get into a rhythm. This is how you gain momentum.