Every year presents us with the opportunity to do better, and many people who had a wonderful 2022 struggled to gain and maintain momentum in 2023. That’s okay! As we enter the new year, it’s the perfect time to start creating sustainable health goals. Whether you’ve found yourself setting aggressive goals and failing in the past or you have tremendous self-discipline but just need help getting started, Brooktree Consulting is here to support you.
1. Think About Your Purpose
Before you can get too far along creating sustainable health goals, you need to think carefully about what your purpose is. Do you want to feel better? Do you want to be able to participate in a certain event? Are you searching for the stamina you need before you take a trip later this year with family? Thinking carefully about your purpose can help ensure that all of your health goals fall in line with it.
2. Set Goals That Are SMART
The SMART approach to creating sustainable health goals is one of the best methods to keep you on track and ensure that you set yourself up for success. Many times, your work ethic is not a problem. Instead, you are trying to change too many things at once, struggling to balance a packed schedule or unable to gain traction because your goals were poorly defined.
Smart goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
These parameters help guide goal-setting so that you are in a place to succeed. After all, if you can’t measure your goals or reasonably reach them, you are bound to be disappointed in the end.
3. Plan for Obstacles
Another common thing that gets in the way of creating sustainable health goals that stick is obstacles. One thing is certain—you will encounter obstacles over the course of your journey. However, planning ahead for them can help you to be ready when they arise. If your gym isn’t open when you prefer to work out on the weekend, what activities can you prepare to do at home? If you are struggling to carve out one hour to exercise on Tuesday, how could you fit in 20 minutes of exercise? Being flexible and preparing for obstacles are critical.
4. Establish Rewards
For some people, a reward for milestones along the way can be a huge motivator. Set a few rewards for yourself as you hit milestones. When you don’t miss a workout for one month straight, how about a trip to the movies? If you reach a weight loss goal, what about purchasing a new item of clothing that you feel great in? Creating sustainable health goals doesn’t only mean establishing objectives and parameters. It also means giving yourself rewards when you succeed.
5. Start Small
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed at the prospect of working on multiple habits at once, consider starting small with one or two. Creating sustainable health goals takes time. It takes just over 60 days to build a habit, so consider setting one habit or intention for every two months. You’ll end the year with 6 new positive habits and feel like you were able to do so responsibly and without stressing yourself out. Starting small is particularly important if you are trying to tackle big goals, like quitting smoking, starting a daily exercise habit or losing weight. When you try to do too much at once, it’s easy for things to spiral out of control.
6. Keep Track
Finally, creating sustainable goals requires an effective method for tracking them. Whether you choose an app, a journal or a note on your phone, make sure that you can monitor your progress as you go. If you find you succeed better when you have someone holding you accountable, consider working with a friend or family member to help touch base regularly and stay on track to meet your goals. Don’t forget that the team at Body Defined is always here to help support you however you need it. When you succeed, we succeed, and we want to watch you reach new levels of success in 2024 by creating sustainable health goals.
Get Your Body Back on Track in 2024 with Help from Brooktree Consulting
My Lifestyle Coaching program focuses on improving your integrative health. From boosting your immunity to helping you when creating sustainable health goals in 2024, I can apply several methods to improve your quality of life.
If you need help getting back on track or starting the new year off on the right foot, I am here to help. Consider scheduling a Lifestyle Health Coaching consultation with me to discuss creating sustainable health goals, and I’ll suggest the right program for you.
