Have you been working towards a health and wellness goal, but have been unsuccessful?
Are you planning to establish a new goal for the New Year?
These practical goal-setting tips can help make it easier to set and reach your health and wellness goals.
SMART goals work best.
SMART goals stand for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
When it comes to making a change, the people who succeed are those who set SMART goals. “I’m going to recycle all of my plastic bottles, soda cans, and magazines” is a much more doable goal than “I’m going to do more for the environment.” Additionally, it will be easier to stick with a goal that is specific and realistic.
Other examples of SMART goals include:
- Practice relaxation techniques 30 minutes per day, 5 times per week, including mediation, deep breathing, & yoga
- Exercise for 1 hour, 3 times per week, using the Dixon Center over my lunch hour
- Cut back to 4 cigarettes per day within 6 weeks; reduce by 1 more cigarette every week until fully quit
It takes time for a change to become an established habit.
It will probably take at least a few weeks and perhaps a couple of months before any changes, such as waking up half an hour early to exercise, become a routine part of your life. Your brain needs time to adjust to the idea that this new thing you’re doing is actually a part of your regular routine.
Repeating a goal makes it stick.
Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you’re working towards. Writing down your goals is also highly effective. Every time you remind yourself of your goal, you’re training your brain to make it happen.
Pleasing other people doesn’t work.
The key to making any change is to find the desire within yourself. You have to do it because YOU want it, not a girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, coach, parent, or someone else who wants you to make this change. It will be more difficult to stay on track and motivated if you’re doing something out of obligation to another person.
Roadblocks don’t mean failure.
Slip-ups are a natural part of the learning process, as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. It may take a few tries to reach a goal, but that’s okay!
It’s completely normal to mess up or give up a few times when trying to make a change. Remember that everyone falters and give yourself a break, and then get back on track again!