United States Eventing Association

Pressure Proof with Daniel Stewart: Going for the Goal in 2025

Last month we began a series of Pressure Proof tips dedicated to the many different mindsets that impact our potential to succeed, but I’d like to pause that conversation as we prepare for New Years so that we can discuss the topic of goal setting.

If you’re like most people, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll make a New Year's resolution to welcome in 2025…and if you’re like most there’s a good chance you’re going to have a really hard time hanging onto it past February! Not only is a resolution is a goal, it’s also an excellent opportunity for all of us to understand just how difficult it can be to set and attain meaningful long-term goals.

As riders we’re blessed with endless growth opportunities and should always remind ourselves that we aren't supposed to just go through life; we’re supposed to grow through life. Luckily, New Years resolutions (like any goal) allow us to achieve this by focusing our aim on meaningful accomplishments. Some bring us short-term improvement while others bring us long-term gain. Some bring us success in a show or session while others bring us success in a season. One of my favorite saying is, “If you wake up without a goal, just go back to bed.” Goal setting will always be beneficial, but it requires time and hard work. Luckily if you’re willing to work, so will your goals.

Short and long-term goals are not new concepts to you, but there’s another kind of goal you might not be familiar with. What makes this goal unique is that it’s more important than all your short- and long-term goals combined. This goal is called a legacy goal (LG), and what makes it special is that it's the culmination of all the most important and meaningful things you’d like to accomplish in your entire riding life. Not in show, session or season, but your entire life.

A goal of this magnitude is difficult to explain so image this scenario. All of your friends and family get together to celebrate your life as an equestrian. What would you hope they’ll say? Would you hope they’ll say you dedicated yourself tirelessly to the betterment of horses? That you never gave up when things got tough? That you defined your success by your efforts rather than your outcomes? If so, set these accolades as your legacy goals, and then live your life every day as if leaving that legacy.

To begin building your legacy-goal, ask yourself why you love horses and riding. Think about what really means the most to you. Is it really winning ribbons or is something more meaningful? If so, make a list of your most meaningful motivators, and then wordsmith them into a paragraph that begins with the words, “My legacy goal is to become the kind of rider who…”

Here are a few examples:

My legacy goal is to become the kind of rider who always lived a life full of nevers. A rider who never stopped learning, never gave up, and never lost patience with herself or her horses. The kind of rider who never forgot to be grateful and express gratitude for the opportunities given to her, and who never forgot to believe in herself knowing that her best would always be good.

My legacy goal is to become the kind of rider who always held strong to her beliefs. The belief that horses and riders are at their best when they feel supported and empowered. The belief that horses and riders deserve to feel safe, healthy and confident. The belief that the barn is a safe space for horses and riders to learn, make mistakes, grow, and create lifetime relationships, and the belief that the community we build at the barn will make both horses and riders better than ever before.

These examples show the difference in magnitude between short- and long-term goals, and the more meaningful legacy goals. You might have noticed one interesting thing about them. Each was written with a common theme to make the goal more meaningful and memorable. The first theme was the repetitive use of the word “never,” and the second theme was the repetitive use of the phrase, “The belief that…”

So, why not begin 2025 by creating your own LG, and then live each and every day as if building that legacy knowing that bad days and good competitors may periodically interfere with your ability to achieve short- and long-term goals, but that nothing (and no one) can ever stand between you and achieving what really means the most to you. Your legacy goal.

Always remember that true riding success won't be measured in one show, session, or season. It’ll only be created after a lifetime of living each and every day as if leaving your legacy; and that while short- and long-term goals can make your days, weeks, and years feel valuable; only a legacy goal can make your entire life feel that way.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that I get the opportunity to see you in one of my clinics, classes or courses in 2025!