the ‘woop’ process

It’s just about playoff time in MLB and you better believe that making the playoffs is one of the main intentions set by anyone who plays at the MLB (or any) level. So, today I thought it'd be a great time to talk about one of my favorite ways to go about hitting whatever targets (goals) you set for yourself: the WOOP process. 

“WOOP” was designed by Gabriele Oettingen, a professor at New York University and author of the great book ‘Rethinking Positive Thinking’. For over 20 years she has researched the science of motivation, so it’s safe to say she knows what it takes to help you achieve anything you may be after in your life, both ON and OFF the field.

Know that whatever dreams you may have will only remain dreams unless you TAKE ACTION. If you create a plan to actually achieve whatever you set out to do, and then TAKE ACTION on a daily basis, your likelihood of getting the job done will be MUCH greater. So, what is her 4-step “WOOP” process and how can you use it to turn your dreams into a reality? Check it out below…

WOOP:

• W stands for WISH: Ask yourself “What is it that I really want?”

  • Deep down to your core, what is it that you actually want to accomplish? Let’s use a high school baseball player as an example:

  • WISH: Play college baseball

• O stands for OUTCOME: Why? What are the benefits you will receive?

  • Sometimes you might set a target without considering what will happen if you actually accomplish it, so it’s important to think about what you will get out of it.

  • OUTCOME:

    • I’ll get to continue playing the game I love at the next level

    • Pride of achieving something I set out for and worked so hard for

    • If I get a scholarship, I’ll save my parents money

    • It will be a stepping stone to my ultimate target: Playing MLB baseball

• The 2nd O stands for OBSTACLE: What might get in the way?

  • It’s super important to rub your target up against reality, knowing it won’t be a smooth ride. Embrace (accept) it!

  • OBSTACLE(s):

    • My mindset. I tend to put too much pressure on myself which leads to me overthinking and playing tight, especially if I know college coaches or scouts or watching.

    • Injury. I’ve already dealt with an arm injury in the past and know that some sort of injury could happen again.

    • Coaching decisions. On my travel ball team in the past, my playing time would be diminished if I stopped producing.

• P stands for PLAN: How will you meet and overcome each obstacle?

  • This is the real meat and potatoes of the WOOP process. Now that you’ve defined the target, the benefit(s), and the obstacles, how do you go about navigating the inevitable adversity? Create a plan!

  • PLAN:

    • Train my mindset and develop the mental skills needed to have more confidence and more fun so that I can consistently play free and loose, knowing this will lead to better results.

    • Be intentional with how I take care of my body. Eat healthier, prioritize sleep, and have great training/stretching/mobility routines.

    • Don’t worry about coaches. Focus all my energy and attention on what is 100% in my control and let everything else take care of itself.

This is of course just a template, so I would encourage all of you to use this WOOP 4-step process on any targets you may have in your life, both big and small. By defining exactly what it is you’re after and what could happen along the way, you’ll be better able to identify what you need to do to actually accomplish it. Once you become comfortable using this approach, it is something you can repeat over and over and continue to build upon to turn any dreams you may have into reality.