Better Balance + Flow

As the end of the year is nearing, we inevitably start to think about our New Year’s resolutions and the goals we can set for the year ahead. New Year’s resolutions get a bit of a bad reputation for being unsustainable and more often than not, after a couple of weeks of excitement and motivation, people struggle to see them through. This need not be the case though, whether you’re setting health specific or general life goals, it’s all about how you approach your goal planning that can really make the difference.

A good place to start is by asking yourself some questions to help guide you through the goal setting process. It’s no good just telling yourself that 2022 is the year that you’ll start running, if you haven’t considered why that’s important to you and what your plan of action is. Good goal setting takes some reflection, big picture thinking and an action plan. So, get yourself a pen and some paper and let’s get started.

1. What’s My Why?

Let’s jump right in at the deep end. Whenever you set goals for yourself, it’s always important to consider your reason for starting it in the first place. You should consider what exactly you want to achieve and spend some time reflecting on the intention behind them. If you know your why, your purpose or what achieving this goal will mean for you, write it down and put incremental goals in place to set you off in the right direction. 

Let’s take the example that you want to lose weight. The exercise here is to understand why shedding those extra pounds is important to you – perhaps you want to have more energy, to look good and feel healthy. So, actually in this case, feeling healthy and having plenty of energy is the true goal that maybe slimming down a little will help you to achieve. Connecting to an intention behind your goals will help to motivate you on those days when it’s easier to binge on snacks or another episode of your favourite series, and will help you keep the big picture in mind.

2. How Can I Achieve It?

Now that you have an idea of your why, you can start to put together your action plan. It’s good to go into as much detail as possible and get specific. You know your big picture, now you have to think about what you can do to achieve it. Taking the last example, in order to feel healthy, look good and have energy, it helps to consider your diet and how much movement you do throughout the day. If you’re mostly sedentary, munching on sweets and chips, these habits might affect how you look and feel. Your action plan might be to cook more often at home, exercise more regularly and give yourself more ‘me-time’. 

To break it down further, determine how often you’d like to cook at home, set aside some healthy recipes to follow, and decide what a healthy meal looks like for you. Set yourself up with a weekly exercise plan, which might be a morning walk 4 times a week, a weekly yoga class or deciding to bike to work instead of driving. More ‘me-time’ could look like 10 minutes of reading before bed, a weekly creative class, or journaling in the morning. Have a think and write down some ways in which you can reach your overall goals in a way that brings you more joy and vitality.

3. What Blocks Have Previously Stopped Me From Making This Happen?

This probably isn’t the first time that you’ve set yourself goals, so consider what might have gotten in your way of achieving them in the past. Perhaps it’s due to time constraints or it’s about convenience. Think about and write down what’s come up for you before and brainstorm some ways you can overcome these challenges that will likely come upon the path ahead. Maybe hour long workouts won’t fit in your schedule. Is there something you can do in 30 minutes? Not a great cook? See if there’s a healthy meal service in your area who’s pricing closely matches what you’d typically spend on groceries.

4.What Kind Of Pain Do I Want?

This is a question that James Clear asks in Atomic Habits – a book I would highly recommend reading. He says “The real challenge is not determining if you want the result, but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal”. What you’re willing to do to achieve your goals will ultimately determine your success. Setting goals isn’t just about the success you’d like to enjoy, but also about the costs you’re willing to pay, i.e. how much training you’re willing to put in. He suggests refining your goals down to those that you can focus on and achieve and meet with the least amount of resistance.

5. How Can I Make It Easy?

The most important thing you can do to ensure that you achieve your goals is to make them as easy to fulfil as possible.

• If you want to go running in the early morning, lay out your clothes the night before
• Make it easier for yourself to eat more healthily by setting aside some time and preparing your veggies and portions for the week ahead. 
• Put your phone on airplane mode as you work to help you focus.
• Sign up to a weekly exercise class for accountability.

Think about your goals and write down some ways that you can make it easy to achieve them. Consider habit stacking, i.e. introducing a new habit by adding it to an existing habit. An example of this could be doing 5 squats as you wait for your kettle to boil.

6. How Will I Feel When I’ve Achieved My Goal(s)?

Ask yourself this question and really feel as if you have already achieved your goals. Write down how you’re feeling in that moment, what you look like, go into detail as if it had already happened. This practice of visualization is often used by top athletes before important games. By tapping into this feeling, you can use it as motivation on days when progress seems a little further away.

7. What Could I Do Next Week To Help Me Achieve My Goal?

To fulfil your goals, it’s important to make time in your calendar and commit to them. Think about what you would need to do next week that would help you to build towards achieving your goal. Think about the habits and practices you can set yourself up with to make sure you make a little bit of progress each week. Whatever it is, schedule it into your planner because, according to research, you’re more likely to stick to your goals if you make a plan for when, where and how to do them.

Finally, know that not everyday will go to plan and be kind to yourself. Some days you will need to rest. The important thing is to get back up the following day. If your goal is related to fitness and you find that one day you’re not up to a weights class at the gym, take a walk instead. Find ways to still take action, even if it’s on a smaller scale – 10 minutes of jogging a day adds up to 70 minutes during the week; a little can go a long way.

Review your goals and tweak them as necessary. Life happens and we have to be willing to adjust. Do a quarterly review and check in with yourself to see how far you’ve come and give yourself permission to celebrate your little wins. If you’re finding it difficult to stick to your goals then accountability can make a huge difference. Share your goals with your most supportive friends and family members, or consider seeking the help of a Health Coach to guide you on your journey. 

The Body Breakthrough Transformation runs in 90 Day cycles, to ensure you’re set up for success. Book a FREE Discovery Call with me where I’ll talk through your specific health concerns and work out an individual plan to suit you and your needs.