Something many of my clients struggle with the desire to reach a certain goal but have difficulty putting steps into action to reach that goal. In sessions, I help walk through reaching goals with people following a similar plan as outlined below. You can go through each step to help make a customized plan that will help you reach your goal!
I encourage you to physically write down your answers for each section.
1. Define your ideal outcome
You likely already have a goal or desired outcome in mind. Maybe you’ve been feeling frustrated with a certain aspect of your health or have been thinking about making a change for a while.
If your unsure, think about your optimal life:
- What about your health would be different?
- How would you physically feel?
Example: “I want to lose 20 pounds”
2. Understand your why
Goals are easier to stick to when they are important to us. Besides the superficial or obvious reasons, why do you really want this change in your health? How would that allow you to live your life in a more aligned way?
Ask yourself “why” 5 times to really uncover the root of why you want to achieve this goal.
Example: ” I want to lose 20lbs so that my inflammation is lower and I can more time doing activities I love with my kids”
3. Identify the obstacles that are blocking you from your desired outcome
If there weren’t any obstacles, you’d likely already have your desired outcome!
Think about all the steps that are involved with reaching your goal. Are you really setting yourself up for success?
Example:
“In order to lose 20lbs I need to…
- Workout 3-5x/week
- Go to bed early so that I have the energy to workout each day
- Grocery shop 1-2x/week so that I have healthy foods available
- Meal prep dinners so that on buys days I don’t have to order take out
- Get 10k steps in per day”
4. Find your motivators
We are all motivated by different things. Some of us are motivated socially, internally, financially, by checking something off, or achieving something new or hard. Or maybe you live and die by your calendar and everything needs to be scheduled in your calendar for it to happen
Example:
Let’s use the workout example from above, here are some different ways that you could play to your motivators:
- Socially: Tell a friend your workout goal and let them know each time you are going to workout. Even better if you have a friend that will be a workout partner with you!
- Financially: Sign up for a workout class ahead of time that charges a cancellation fee
- Achieving something hard: Track your progress with weights to see improvements
- Calendar: Schedule all your workouts Sunday night and put them on the calendar
5. Set a SMART Goal that will help you reach your desired outcome
Now lets put all this info together!
You know how you want to feel and why it’s important to you. Take 1-2 obstacles from #3 and use your motivators identified in #4 to create a goal that is:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time Bound
Examples of SMART goals:
Sleep
- Use the opal app to block all social media apps by 8pm on Sunday through Friday
- Start getting ready for bed at 9pm and turn out lights by 10pm on Sunday through Friday
Exercise
- Sign up for 3 workout classes for the week on Sunday night
- Go on a 20 minute walk daily with the dog and partner after dinner to help reach 10k steps
Food
- Go grocery shopping/order groceries every Sunday for the week
- Cook on dinner at home Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
6. Tack your Progress
Use something like a habit tracker to track progress for your goals. You can always use another method to keep track but it’s important to track progress to celebrate the wins!
7. Mindset
Mindset is extremely important when it comes to setting and sticking with goals. Many people have an “all or nothing” or “black or white” thinking when it comes to goals. This mindset can make it hard to stick with goals and usually leaves us on a roller coaster of emotions that prevents us from reaching our goals.
Practice working on balance when it comes to goals. Setting SMART goals helps us to set more realistic goals that aren’t “all or nothing”. (Thats where the “Achievable” part comes in – be honest with yourself on this part!).
Also remember that life happens and we won’t always be 100% with reaching our goals. The most important is doing the best that we can and staying consistent!
