For our 40th episode, The Sports Docs deviate from discussing sports injuries, surgeries, and recovery. Instead, today’s topic is something every professional athlete keeps close to heart – setting goals. Today, Dr. Catherine Logan and Dr. Ashley Bassett are joined by two special guests: Dr. Giselle Aerni & Dr. Mary Mulcahey.

The first topic of the day is the difference between a habit and a routine. While these two terms are often confused, habits are usually more potent and reliable. They happen automatically, and they’re near-impossible to break. 

Our doctors explore this process step-by-step, from setting your intentions and preparing for roadblocks to making small steps and showing more understanding toward yourself.

The second topic concerns, “Why do we achieve some goals and fail at others?” Is there a pattern that we can recognize which goals we are likely to achieve?

There are two noteworthy conclusions here. First, immediate benefits are important for the chance of a goal being accomplished, while long-term goals increase the chance that the goal will be set to begin with.

How does one set proper goals, and how does one use them to build proper habits? Here are a few things you need to know about this and a few ways to approach this topic.

So, let’s look closer at the anatomy of goals and habits and figure out how this knowledge can be exploited for your benefit.