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How to Create Your Goal Pyramid with Paralympian Trevon Jenifer

Athletes

Trey Jenifer headshot.Since he was only a few years old, Trevon Jenifer has focused on athletic goals and how to achieve them. With that focus and some strategic goal setting, Jenifer has gone on to become a four-time Paralympian in the sport of wheelchair basketball.

While his goals in life and sport have changed over the decades, he’s been able to meet each challenge while utilizing his pyramid approach to goal setting.

It takes more than determination

Determination and grit got Jenifer through his elementary school and high school sporting career, he admits. He would see something he wanted to do—like wrestling—and go after it. But when he got to college, he was struck by how high the bar was for the wheelchair basketball team, and how far he suddenly was from the top. “When I got there, I realized that I needed to implement some sort of structure in order to see the progress I needed to achieve,” he says. “My freshman year, I realized that talent was only part of the equation. I would need a plan to accomplish my big goals.”

Goals in sport are goals in life

You can’t set a goal in sport without it impacting how you spend the rest of your day. It’s no surprise that Jenifer first had this realization in college. Not only was the competition level higher, but college was the first time he had the independence to make decisions regarding his sleep, nutrition, class schedule, training schedule, and every other facet of his life. “In college, I realized that no one was going to tell you what to do, it’s up to you,” he says. “And those decisions impacted his sport: You need to eat well, sleep enough, work with the trainers and other experts who are available to you, and also do everything you need to do for the team and for school. It’s all part of the equation.”

Break down the goal

When Jenifer is setting a goal, he looks at the destination—and then backtracks to create the route. Whether your goal is six months or 10 years away, you need to plan out the steps. “No matter what your goal is, it’s important to look ahead, and then look at what you need to do along the way to hit that goal,” he says. “If your goal is to become a lawyer, then it starts with getting good grades in high school, going to undergrad and doing a program that makes sense for getting into law school, taking the LSATs, getting into law school, doing an internship at a firm you respect—all of that happens on the way to achieving the main goal. But you have to think about all the steps, not just the outcome.”

 

Create a goal pyramid

Male athlete with leg prosthetic sitting on bench writing on paper.Heading into the 2008 Paralympic cycle, Jenifer knew he wanted to make the team but also knew he had a long way to go before he would be ready. And as a visual learner, he knew having his approach organized in an easy-to-view way would help. “I created this pyramid for my goal of making the team and winning the gold medal, and I posted it on my dorm room wall,” he recalls. His goal pyramid allowed him to put his big outcome goal at the top, and work his way down to the bottom, where the process goals that would help him achieve that outcome would provide the foundation.

“At the top was making the team. Under that, there were slightly smaller goals that I would need to accomplish to get there, like becoming an academic All American and winning National Championships. Under that, I put things that I needed to do during each month. At the bottom—the biggest part of the pyramid—was where the important stuff was. Things like working out a certain number of days per week or hitting a certain number of free throws. I know that the top of the pyramid was where I wanted to get to, but to get there, I would need to check off the little boxes at the bottom.”

Focus on the bottom of the pyramid, not the top

For Jenifer, the bottom of the pyramid—those small daily and weekly actions—were the most critical to focus on. “We tend to get so focused on the big goal that we neglect the little goals that we should be focused on in order to get there,” Jenifer says. “The little goals are the ones you can work on every day, and they can shift to fit where you are in your journey. If your goal at the top is to run a marathon, your pyramid’s base will be focused on developing consistent running habits. Maybe we need to change a block to add more jogs/walks because you weren’t ready for full runs, but that’s okay. The goal at the top stays the same, you’re just getting there in a slightly different way. And there’s always something you can be working on, rather than just looking at that faraway big goal.”

Acknowledge the sacrifices

The other benefit of creating a pyramid for your goal is that you can see what it’s going to take to get to the big goal, says Jenifer. “I always tell people that achieving a goal requires some kind of sacrifice,” he explains. “People see the gold medal, and that’s the top of the pyramid, but they don’t see all of the building blocks that came under it: They don’t see the time in the gym instead of time spent out with friends, or missing birthdays and weddings because of travel schedules. Creating that pyramid shows you what the cost of the goal will be, and you can decide if it’s worth it for you.”

See the little wins

Trey Jenifer during a wheelchair basketball game.
Credit: Wheelchair Sports Federation

“Our society is so focused on getting instant gratification, and when we don’t get it right away, we’re discouraged and ready to give up on the goal,” Jenifer says. “I like the pyramid because it shows how this is all a process, and there are so many small wins at the base of the pyramid that we can celebrate along the way.” You also need to be the one to celebrate the progress you’re making, he adds, because you’re the one who cares the most. “I have to be my biggest cheerleader as much as I’ve been my biggest critic, which means doing things like acknowledging the little wins and making sure that I’m using positive language and affirmations throughout the day. Celebrate the little successes, the little victories, because ultimately, those little victories will add up to a huge win, even if it’s not the ultimate goal.”

Failure is inevitable—but not a bad thing

On your goal pyramid, you may not reach the top. But as Jenifer said, you will make progress. “Failure is inevitable in life and especially in sport,” Jenifer says. “That’s why you need to understand why you want the goal in the first place. And at the same time, you need to remember that you aren’t your goal. Your goal can support you becoming the best version of yourself, but if you don’t achieve the goal, you’re still the same person.”

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Takeaway

Jenifer uses a goal pyramid, with his primary goal at the top, to achieve his foundational and big-picture goals. Using the pyramid allows him to check in regularly on progress, see and celebrate daily wins, and understand what’s required when pursuing a big goal.

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, Paralympian, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshman at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time, I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about body image, and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So, I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

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I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

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THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

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