Most people set goals without ever realising there are two completely different kinds — and only one of them actually moves you forward.

Understanding the difference between performance goals and process goals can completely transform your liberty training.

Let’s break it down 👇

🎯 Performance Goals: The Big, Shiny Outcomes

A performance goal is focused on a result you want, but don’t fully control.

Example:
“Win the Liberty Horse UK online show in February.”

Sounds exciting, right?
But look at how many things are outside of your control:

• The weather might be terrible
• Your horse might be having an off week
• Someone incredible might enter
• You or your horse could be unwell
• The judge’s preference might not fall your way

Performance goals are motivating, but they’re fragile.
They depend on timing, luck, circumstances, and other people.

They’re not bad — they’re just not the place to build your confidence.

🔁 Process Goals: The Small, Repeatable Actions You CAN Control

A process goal focuses on the behaviours, not the outcome.
It’s the meaty, practical stuff you do day after day that moves you forward.

Examples:
✨ Do 5 minutes of liberty training each day
✨ Video your sessions once a week
✨ Analyse your footage & note 2 things you’d improve
✨ Journal your sessions so you can spot patterns
✨ Practise one movement from the progress awards for 3 short sessions this week
✨ Spend 5 minutes warming up connection before training

These are the things you have 100% control over.

And the magic?
When your process goals are consistent, the performance goals start taking care of themselves.

💫 Why Process Goals Build Confidence (and Performance Goals Often Break It)

When you measure yourself by the outcome (“Did I win? Did I score 90%?”), you’re setting your success on shaky ground.

When you measure yourself by the process (“Did I show up? Did I train kindly and consistently?”), you create:

✔ Progress you can actually see
✔ Confidence that grows session by session
✔ A stronger partnership with your horse
✔ A sense of achievement that doesn’t depend on external validation

Your horse doesn’t care about the scoreboard.
They care about the moments of connection you build along the way.

📘 How the LHUK Progress Awards Fit In

The Progress Awards syllabus is designed with process goals at its heart.

Instead of chasing one huge outcome, the awards break liberty training down into:

• Simple, bite-sized skills
• Clear steps
• Gradual progression
• Achievable milestones
• A structure you can follow at your own pace

Each level is built from small, controllable actions — exactly the kind of process goals that create confidence and consistency.

And before you know it, all those tiny pieces add up to something big.
Your circles improve. Your connection deepens. Your horse’s understanding grows.
You suddenly realise you’ve achieved the performance outcome you dreamed of…
by focusing on the process all along.

🌱 The Takeaway

Performance goals inspire you.
Process goals transform you.

Set the dream, yes — but build your daily rhythm around the small, doable steps.

Because success in liberty doesn’t come from chasing outcomes.
It comes from showing up, observing, adjusting, reflecting… one tiny chunk at a time.

And you, and your horse, can absolutely do that. 💛

To help you put this into action, I’ve created a one-page weekly planner you can download and use straight away. Set your goal for the week, decide what winning looks like for you (three sessions? four?), then use the habit tracker to tick off simple actions like 10 minutes of training, filming a session, and journalling afterwards. It’s not about doing everything — it’s about doing the small things consistently.

Download the planner and start this week.