It’s time to think about your own goals. If you haven’t looked at the Healthy Weight Healthy You Goal setting and Motivation pages, you might want to look through those first to help you set your goals.
You may have lost weight before and want to keep the weight off this time. You may want to make healthy changes to help you feel better or make life easier. We recommend picking a small number of goals to focus on. This may be 1, 2 or 3 goals. Answer the questions below to get started - Don’t forget to keep the values you identified in mind as you go!
My SMART goal:
- Specific - Make your goal as specific as possible. What exactly do you want to achieve?
- Measurable – Identify a way to measure your progress whilst working towards your goal. How will you know when you’ve achieved it?
- Achievable – Your goal should be just out of reach but not out of sight. Is your goal challenging but doable?
- Relevant – Think about your values. Is this something that will really make a difference to your life?
- Time-bound – Set a time by which you would like to achieve your goal. By when do you want to achieve it?
My short-term goals
Set yourself up for success with achievable goals that you can fit easily into your lifestyle. These may help boost your confidence and motivate you to continue. Consider fun activities that suit your social nature, e.g. a walk with friends.
Remember, these are your small steps or bite-sized chunks to help you reach your main goal. Remember to make sure these goals suit you and your current lifestyle and try to make them as specific as possible. For example, you may have a busy social calendar, so you might choose to catch up with friends on a walk 3 times a week or choose the healthier option when eating out.
What might get in my way?
Look at your long-term goal and the shorter bite-sized goals you’ve just written down. Spend some time thinking about what might get in your way.
Overcoming barriers
Now think about what you can do to help you with those barriers; and how you can build in the support you need. For example, if you plan to attend social events with food and drink available, plan ahead to help you choose healthier options or plan for smaller portion sizes. It may help to write these down:
If ____________________________________ happens
Then I plan to ________________________________.
Getting support from friends and family may also help. Talking to them about your goals and values can help them support you on your journey. You may find they want to join you in your healthy changes.
Review and renew!
It’s important to review your goals regularly, whether weekly or monthly, depending on your goals. Ask yourself, am I making progress? If I’m not, why not? Is there something you can change to make your goal more realistic or easier for you to achieve?
Remember to think about why you started your journey and how you want to feel.
Continue your journey
Click on the next page Keeping motivated and celebrating success to continue your journey.
