I've coached Olympic champions for almost 40 years, and every one...
Bob Bowman@coach_bowman
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Oct 20, 2026
~1 min read
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I've coached Olympic champions for almost 40 years, and every one of them did a goal-setting exercise with me.
Every goal has 3 levels. Most athletes get stuck on level one. 🧵
Every goal has 3 levels. Most athletes get stuck on level one. 🧵
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Level one is the long-term goal.
With Michael Phelps it was 8 to 10 years out. He was young enough that I could look at the end of his career and work out how to get him started the right way.
That's what the long one is for. It tells you where to begin.
With Michael Phelps it was 8 to 10 years out. He was young enough that I could look at the end of his career and work out how to get him started the right way.
That's what the long one is for. It tells you where to begin.
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Level two is the intermediate goal.
Get it down to a year and you can be really specific.
I can plan what I want an athlete to do every day for a whole year, down to what they're doing on a Tuesday morning in March. Unless they mess it up, then we change it.
Get it down to a year and you can be really specific.
I can plan what I want an athlete to do every day for a whole year, down to what they're doing on a Tuesday morning in March. Unless they mess it up, then we change it.
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Level three is the immediate goal.
What are you going to do right now?
Anybody can list the benefits of eating better, and anybody can find a plan for it.
The whole thing comes down to what you do when the cookie is in your hand.
What are you going to do right now?
Anybody can list the benefits of eating better, and anybody can find a plan for it.
The whole thing comes down to what you do when the cookie is in your hand.
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You can have the 8-year goal and the one-year plan and still go nowhere.
Nothing moves until you decide the thing that's in front of you right now.
Nothing moves until you decide the thing that's in front of you right now.
