As we begin to enter a new month, that means it is the perfect time to make goals! Setting a goal allows you to focus on something important that matters to you, and having a goal to work towards increases your self esteem and self efficacy. It can also decrease procrastination and increase productivity, motivation, and accountability to yourself because you want to be able to achieve your goals! Use these simple tips to help create the next goal and work towards achieving it.
Figure Out Your Why
Why do you want to start today? What is it that you want to accomplish and WHY? Whether your goal is to improve your overall health, fit back into your favorite dress, look good for a family reunion, or increase longevity, knowing your why will increase your chances of success with your goal! For example, there is a big difference between starting an exercise routine because you know you should versus working out to improve your cardiovascular health to prevent the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Take a few moments to acknowledge your why, and turn your why into what made you successful with your goals!
Pro Tip: Remind yourself of your why by writing it down on post-it notes and sticking them where you can see your why each day. Some ideas are placing post-its on your bathroom mirror, in your kitchen, at your desk at work, saving it as a background on your phone, or even in your wallet! Keep remembering your why!
Start S.M.A.R.T.
You may already know what a S.M.A.R.T.goal is, but how often do you use this tactic? This is a great way to start your path towards successfully reaching your goal. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound.
Specific – Lay out every detail of your goal to help create direction. Thinking of a goal is easy to do, but thinking of a very specific and detailed goal can make you more successful. For example, you can say that you want to get healthy but that is very vague. A more specific goal could be that you want to lose weight and make changes to your diet in order to bring your A1C down into normal ranges. Having a specific path will help you achieve your goal and will give you a clear idea of when you have achieved that goal!
I want to bring my A1C down by one point, putting it within the healthy range.
Measurable – How will you know you achieved your goal? Plan out a timeline and how you can measure your progress, and that way you are able to determine when you accomplished your goal and celebrate! So in taking the A1C example, throughout your health journey you would measure every time your A1C drops a couple of points, knowing that you are heading in the right direction.
I will check my blood sugar morning and night every day and I have scheduled an appointment with my doctor for my A1C 3 months from today to see where it stands.
Achievable – It is important to make goals that you can achieve, even if it takes a lot of work. If your goal is near impossible, then you may be taking time away from other goals that you can be successful with. With that said, it is important to not make your goals too easy, it is great to challenge yourself and reach for the stars! Going back to the A1C goal, getting your A1C into a normal range is a very achievable goal that you can reach if you put your mind to it!
In order to lower my A1C, I will increase my exercise and decrease my sugar intake.
Relevant – Your goal should align with your values and your long term objectives. If your health is a long-term goal of yours then why make a goal relating to finances? Something else to remember is that your methods of reaching your goal should be effective in helping you. If your goal is to lower your A1C, you shouldn’t focus on drinking more water. You should focus on reducing the amount of added sugar you eat as that will be more beneficial to you reaching that goal.
I will lower my sugar intake and will keep track of what I eat each day, so I can review my food log with my doctor in 3 months. I will also exercise 5 times a week on my lunch break and will walk for a half hour for my exercise because I know that will help me lower my blood sugar.
Time bound – If you are planning to get a years-worth of work done in a week’s time, then your goal may not be done right or done well. Set yourself up for success by creating a deadline that you can meet, but again, it never hurts to challenge yourself!
I will have lowered my A1C in time for my next doctor’s visit in 3 months.
Put It Into Practice
Break down your goals into smaller goals
Taking your overall goal and dividing it into smaller ones can make it easier to achieve. One way to do this is think of every step you would take in order to reach your goal, and make each of those steps a goal in themselves! This is also a great way to keep track of your overall progress of completing your goal, and gives you a chance to reward yourself along the way!
From plan to paper
Now that you have your goal: write it down. From post-it notes to paper on the fridge, write your goals down and place it in a spot you see every day. If your goal is to focus on self improvement, try sticking a post- it on your bathroom mirror. Or for your goal of reaching a healthy body composition and achieving Maintenance on your 30/10 Program, have your before photos or your initial weigh-in accessible so you know where you started and where you are going.
Take time and think
It is important to think about not only how you will reach your goals, but of every roadblock ahead. It is better to prepare for the worst than to not prepare at all. With that said, think of every milestone you will overcome along the way and celebrate each small success!
Be okay with making changes
Not everything works out how we would like it to, and that is why it is okay to make changes along the way. If achieving your goal was possible from the start but circumstances have changed, it is better to adapt than to give up! Timelines and expectations can change, and so can you!
Reward yourself
You did it! You accomplished your goal and have the opportunity to create more goals and continue your path to success. Celebrate and reward yourself, and if you need ideas on how to celebrate that doesn’t center on food, read our blog here.
Now go and achieve your goals! We are proud of you.
30/10 Weight Loss for Life is a comprehensive weight loss program that can help you achieve your goals and weight loss success! Get started with 30/10 Weight Loss for Life by visiting any 30/10 location or call us at (855)-937-3010!
