A closer look at setting the perfect health goal: Everything you need to know

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
–Japanese Proverb
 
How often do you get into your car and just drive around aimlessly? How often do you kick those wheels into motion, with nowhere to go and nowhere to be?
 
My guess is that 99.9% of the time you hit the road, you have a predetermined destination in mind. Sure, sometimes we just feel like going out for a drive. See where the world takes us. Let the wind carry us. But these instances are the exception rather than the rule.
 
It’s obvious that to get closer to something that you want, you must first know exactly where you need to go.
 
As romantic and carefree as it sounds, letting the wind carry us is not always the best way to living a fulfilling life. Swirling around life with no conviction or sense of purpose can get really old really fast. Worse yet, it could very well carry us to places that we have no desire to actually be. Instead, we should strive to make life happen for us rather than to us...

Time is finite
There was a critical period in my 20’s when I began to realize that our time on earth is limited. Within the span of 6 months I lost both of my beloved grandparents. Of course, at that age I already knew about death and understood they wouldn’t be around forever. But logically knowing something and feeling it are two very different things.
 
It was this enlightenment that prompted me to live life more intentionally. When we’re young and idealistic we have this illusion that we have all the time in the world. We feel we can do anything and everything. We think that we have plenty of time to pursue all that interests us. We take time for granted.
 
Then the years start to just tick on by.  Time manages to slip away from us. We incorrectly assume that there will always be time to get started on something tomorrow. For me, living intentionally means understanding that time is finite. It means making the most of however long I am here. It means setting goals. And it means achieving them.
 
5 benefits of setting good goals

1.) Focus and Clarity
Having a goal helps you differentiate between what really matters and what doesn’t. If an action isn’t aligned with your goals then don’t focus too much attention on it. If it isn’t getting you closer to who you want to be, how you want to be or what you want to attain, then don’t waste any more mental energy on it. Remember, if you try to do everything you end up doing nothing.
 
2.) Motivation and Direction
Life often gets in the way of your plans. But setting a goal is akin to having a North Star. It’s a guiding light when life muddies the waters and fogs up your view. With a clearly defined goal, you’re more easily able to find your way again. Having a goal gives you reason to wake up each morning. It gives you a strong sense of purpose. Success won’t happen unless and until you make it happen.
 
3.) Hope & control
A goal is like a beacon of light. It makes you future-oriented. It provides hope and inspiration for a better tomorrow. Goals are a way of managing your future, of taking control of your destiny. The unexpected will still happen. You’ll still have to roll with the punches and go with the flow sometimes. But having a goal gets you back on track that much quicker.
 
4.) Redirection of resources
As with time, energy is finite. A goal redirects your time and energy towards what matters. If an action isn’t aligned with your path towards your ultimate destination then you might be wasting your energy. Sure we all have things we have to do regardless of our goals. But we can use our energy more wisely if we cut out some of those activities that may not be taking us closer towards achieving our goals (ex. Netflix binges maybe??).
 
5.) Confidence
The sense of accomplishment that accompanies goal achievement is significant. Each and every time you accomplish something, no matter how big or small, it’s that much more evidence that you are capable.

How to set an effective health goal
We’ve probably all had at least some experience with setting goals in our lives. Most of us have at some point made a health goal. Maybe we set a goal to lose 10 pounds. Or to get in better shape. Maybe our goal is to eat less sugar or to bring our blood pressure down. The concept of setting goals is nothing new.  But how many of us have really learned how to set an effective goal?
 
What is a SMART goal?
SMART is an acronym used for effective goal setting. It stands for the 5 characteristics of a good goal: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. For a goal to be effective, it should be:
 
Specific
Saying you want to “get healthier” hardly helps you determine what to do next. And how would you even know whether you’ve achieved this goal of “getting healthier”? It’s too vague. The key is to be as specific as possible so you know exactly when you’ve made it to your destination.

Example: “I will exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week for the next 3 months”. This is a very specific behavioral goal, with a clear definition of success.
 
Measurable
You want to be able to measure progress towards goal achievement. Fortunately with health goals, this is relatively easy to do. Saying your goal is to “lose some weight” is too vague. How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? After 3 pounds? Or after 100 pounds?   

Example: “I will weigh myself once a week and I will lose at least 1 pound per week for the next 2 months”.
 
Attainable
Let me ask you if these goals sound attainable to you:
“I will bring my cholesterol levels down to normal by the end of the week." 
 
“I will go to the gym 6 nights per week and work out for at least 1 hour for the next 8 weeks.”
 
“I will lost 15 pounds in the next 2 weeks.”
 
“I will eat mostly fruits and vegetables every day for the next 30 days.”
 
Unlikely goals, right? These lofty (and somewhat unsafe!) goals are just setting you up for failure. Instead, make sure the goal you set is realistic for your abilities, your schedule and for your current living situation. And of course, make sure it’s safe. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew!
 
Relevant
For a goal to be effective, it should be relevant to your wants, needs and desires. Remember, your goal is your North Star. So make sure the destination is somewhere you’ll actually want to be. For example, if you want to be healthier, any goal that requires weight loss, more exercise or improvements in health markers is surely relevant and is aligned with your ultimate desire to get healthier.
 
Time-Bound
Your GPS always gives you an ETA (Estimated Arrival Time), right? When you set out on any journey with a particular destination in mind, you want to know when you will arrive. A goal is no different. When setting a goal, create a deadline. Create a time frame to work within. This creates a sense of urgency and it ensures forward motion each and every day.

Example: “I will walk at least 10,000 steps per day, every day for the next month” or “I will eat 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables 5 days per week for the next 3 weeks”.
 
4 quick tips on how to set good health goals

1.) Daydream a little
Seeing is believing! For all of this to work, it’s essential that you create a vision of your future self. And then believe that this vision can become a reality. This vision you have of your future self will help keep you motivated and excited about goal achievement.
 
There will be days when you question your motives. There will be days when you question your desire to continue. It’s the vision that will keep pushing you forward until that vision becomes a reality.
 
Just imagine yourself 20 pounds lighter, with more energy and more confidence. You’re finally fitting into that favorite dress of yours, tucked away in the corner of your closet. Imagine how you’ll feel the day you can slip it on and that moment you see yourself in the mirror…

2.) Make sure it’s something you really want
As we’ve seen, setting a good health goal is quite simple. But be sure to set the goal for the right reasons. Don’t make a goal merely to impress others or because you just think it’ll make you happy.  A good example of a goal would be to lose 15 pounds for better health, increased energy and more confidence. You’re setting this goal because you believe in and want these things for yourself.

3.) Write it down and tell people about it
It helps to write your goal down and keep it somewhere you can see it to serve as a constant reminder. Then go ahead and announce it to the world! Sharing your goal with others helps make it more real. More importantly, it helps hold you accountable. You’ve already told your friends and family about it. Now you don’t want to let them down or make it look like you failed. That extra push from others is sometimes all you need to keep going when things get tough.

4.) Create an effective system and a blueprint
“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan. Never the goal” (-Unknown).

Equally important to effective goal setting is setting up effective systems. You may find that you're beating yourself up over not having enough willpower. But in fact, it could be that you're just in an environment that has yet to be made conducive for change. Or maybe you just haven't mastered the plan yet. It's key to set up a healthy environment and to create habits and routines that work best for your unique schedule. Successful, sustainable change can't happen without an effective blueprint.

Be sure to follow AndiamoFit for future posts about how to set up your environment and how to create a system for success!
 
Call to action
Hopefully now you’re ready to set a new health goal for yourself. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. And if you’d like, we’d also love for you to share it with AndiamoFit in the comments section below!

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