Tips for Setting Goals, Part 1

If you are just beginning your journey into the world of sports betting, you have a long road to walk if you want to join the sharps.  Even if you become good enough to join the pros, you will probably only have a win percentage hovering between 55-60%.  You will have to fight for every percentage.  That is how hard it is to succeed at punting.

With such a long journey ahead, how do you set useful goals which will help you succeed?  Here are some tips.

1.  First of all, make sure you have goals.

The first mistake that a lot of newbie punters make is having no goals at all.  Sometimes this happens because they start betting casually for fun.  Even though they start to develop a professional interest in sports betting, they never make the transition into goal-based thinking.  Other times, it is because they simply hope for the best.  They figure, “If I just do this long enough, I will get better.”

Goals can impose a sense of pressure that some people dislike.  But this is usually the result of setting improper goals. 

Setting the right short-term goals can provide you with a sense of achievement.  The payoff you get from that achievement can motivate you to keep taking steps toward your long-term goals.  Plus, an intelligent set of goals can function as a roadmap, helping you to find your way to your destination.

2.  Keep your goals S.M.A.R.T.

The second big mistake that punters make is setting goals which are neither tangible nor achievable.  A goal like, “I want to get rich betting on sports” is not really a goal, because there is no way to measure what it means in concrete terms.

This is why you should set only S.M.A.R.T. goals.  This stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Timely

Goals that do not fit within the S.M.A.R.T. model are only dreams.  While dreams are great to have, they will remain such if you cannot translate them into achievable goals.Read more about S.M.A.R.T goal setting here.

3.  Keep your goals flexible.

You certainly do not want to set goals that you are only half-committed to.  Still, there is a difference between being indecisive and being flexible.  A lot of people commit rigidly to their goals in the fear that if they waver at all, they will somehow turn into failures.

But circumstances change, and sometimes what you want changes to.  The more you learn about betting on sports, the more you will learn about yourself.  What you discover may adjust your expectations in such a way that your goals and dreams need to shift as well. 

You might for example start out determined to make betting a full-time job.  But you discover along the way that the commitment is too big for you and just not the right fit.  If you still enjoy sports betting, but find that you feel more secure with a day job, you can still become a profitable part-time sports bettor.  There is nothing “lesser” about that goal.  The best goal is not the most ambitious one.  It is simply the one which fits your lifestyle requirements.

You now know a little more about how to set intelligent, profitable goals as a would-be professional punter.  Read on to Tips for Setting Goals, Part 2 for more helpful advice!