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The important aspects to bear in mind when goal setting are:

Specific - State exactly what your target is and exactly when you wish to achieve it.
Challenging and Controllable - The goal should be stretching and also achievable under your sole control.
Attainable - Your goal should be stretching but realistically attainable based on the time you can put in.
Measurable - Measurable meaning you will be in no doubt when you have achieved it.
Personal - You decide your own goals and keep them to yourself.

Remember SCAMP and also remember - write your goals down - now.

One point worth stressing is that your goals should directly related to the time you put in. If you are in any doubt about this factor, a good test would be to write your goals for all aspects of your life (rather than just snooker). This should help you to assess whether the amount of time you are dedicating to achieving your snooker goals is in line with the amount of time other priorities will be given.

Affirmations

Many years ago Emile Coue said
"Choose what you will, then let your imagination bring it to you"
and perhaps more famously
"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better"
so there is nothing new about affirmations.

Translated for every day use today, an example of an affirmation would be "I am a better player in matches than in practice". But how many players have you heard say exactly the reverse! The point about affirmations is that, with regular and committed use, they will come true. Make a list of the negative affirmations that you may be thinking to yourself on a regular basis "I always lose black ball frames. My opponent is always lucky. I never beat this opponent." chances are there will be many more(!) and turn them around into positive statements. "I always win black ball frames. Luck is irrelevant to the outcome of the match. I will beat this opponent next time (changes to I always beat this opponent)". Say these affirmations to yourself on a regular basis (perhaps start with a single affirmation at first) and watch your success rate improve. Then introduce more and more affirmations until they become second nature.

Of course there is no always about winning but there can be an always about losing.
Positive affirmations will severely increase your successes.

Positive Mental Approach

A positive mental approach can perhaps best be characterised by saying that your thoughts are strongly focussed on the here and now and drawn towards specific future goals. The negative mental approach is usually looking backwards rather than forwards and this often takes concentration away from the here and now.

So what do we mean by here and now. Here's an example; during the last few minutes of reading this, have you been aware of any distractions nearby? Have you had any thoughts of being elsewhere? If the answer to either question is "Yes", then your concentration has not been on this article all of the time and, if you were to re-read the last few minutes content, you may be surprised what parts you have not absorbed. If the answers "No" and "No" then that is an example of good concentration. If you find yourself unable to focus on the "here and now" during a snooker shot all of the content of the Mind Games section can be of benefit to you.

Another example of Negative versus Positive Mental Approach can come from negative predictions of the future. Have you ever heard a player say, for example "... and then my opponent fluked a ball in the second frame and then went on to win 3-0." These thoughts are often in the beaten players mind long before the end of the match (i.e. from the fluke onwards). Its far better for the player to ignore the fluke or, perhaps even better, to rehearse the "match report" that they will be telling their friends, along the lines of "... and although my opponent got a fluke in the middle of the second frame, I didn't let it unsettle me and went on to win 3-1." You have the power to put whatever ending to these thoughts that you wish. Which ending would you prefer to put on the story?

The Five Breath Technique

The five breath technique removes tension and clears the mind. Once mastered, this technique will help you to relax very quickly indeed. It can be used at any time you feel yourself tensing up and will be effective even in highly charged situations.

First though, you will need to spend time perfecting the technique. This is best done in quiet surroundings where you will not be disturbed. Just five minutes a day practising should enable you to relax at will in about four to six weeks. In order to avoid the reading of these instructions to get in the way of the relaxation it is best either to learn the technique by heart or record the steps on a personal cassette to replay each time.

Lie or sit comfortably, arms by your side
Take a deep breath. Concentrate on allowing the muscles of your face and neck to relax as you breathe out.
Take a second deep breath. Allow the muscles in your shoulders and arms to relax as you breathe out.
Take a third deep breath. Allow the muscles in your chest, stomach and back to relax as you breathe out.
Take a fourth deep breath. Allow your legs and feet to relax as you breathe out.
Take a fifth deep breath and focus on relaxing your whole body as you breathe out.
Target - aim to build up to staying in this relaxed deep breathing state for five minutes.
When you are ready to finish each session, count slowly with each breath from five back to one and you will be in a state of relaxed alertness for whatever you are ready to do next.

Holding An Image

This exercise develops the skill of maintaining concentration on a specific object for extended periods. You will need a stopwatch for this exercise.

Find a comfortable chair in a place where you will not be distracted or disturbed. Sit upright, feet flat on the floor, with the stop watch in one hand and both hands resting in your lap.
Spend a short time relaxing using the five breath technique
Visualise a red snooker ball on a green baize table. Notice every detail about the ball, its texture, its size, any reflections (of a light bulb, a window, a cue ball, even yourself !).
Once you have the image in your head, start the stopwatch and maintain the clear image. If the image fades or your attention is drawn to any distracting thoughts or sounds, stop the watch. With practice you will gradually maintain concentration for longer and longer periods.
After each attempt note down the length of time you maintained uninterrupted concentration on the image.
Target - to hold the image for one minute.
As with all other practice routines keep records of your progress towards the target.

Video Preview

Choose any of the Practice Routines listed on this site and overlay this technique onto your next attempt.

When you've decided what shot to play, take a few moments to experience the shot in your minds' eye. Use as many senses as possible. Feel yourself going to the table and getting into position (include any non-standard aspects - involve for example awkward bridging), get a mental rehearsal of the strength of the shot; see, hear and feel the delivery of the cue, the sight and sound of cue striking cue ball, cue ball striking object ball and (in the case of a pot) object ball going in the pocket and then the cue ball finishing in position for the next shot.
Only then are you ready to move to the table to play the previewed shot.

The chances of a successful outcome are severely reduced without this positive video preview and with an unsuccessful video preview (you see yourself missing the shot!!) the chances of success reduce swiftly towards zero. How many times have you heard a player say "I knew I was going to miss that". Visualisation is largely about listening to that little voice and not playing the shot until you've got a positive video preview in you mind.

This technique, like any other skill you aim to develop, will require practice to reach perfection. Practice your video preview technique as a conscious part of each practice session until it becomes automatic.