Goal Setting
Once you have decided to make a positive change and the
commitment is clear, goals should be set.
Goal setting is part of exploring your new life and figuring out what
you want and like to do. Set realistic,
specific goals in multiple areas of your life.
Talk with others and learn why your prior attempts to achieve goals have
failed so you don’t make the same mistake again. Initially, goals should be short-term,
measurable and realistic. Focus on one
or two.
Before committing to long-term change, you may benefit from
experimenting with a short period. Try
out your new behavior for a week. Keep a
journal of how it felt, and what goals may need to be modified because it was
too hard or unpleasant. Sometimes it is
a matter of slowing the process. For example, instead of starting to eat
healthier by totally changing your diet, start by only having sugary foods once
a day, then reduce it to once a week. Once you are comfortable with that then
try, for example, carrying a water bottle with you to help you drink more water.
You need to be aware of the reasons you want to change (or
not), how motivated you are to change different aspects of your life, how to
increase your motivation levels and how to make changes in a way that works for
you. Yes, that’s right. One size does not fit all. Remember, Rome was not built in a day, and
neither were your problems. However,
everything is intertwined. That is the
good news. Positive changes in one area
will have positive changes on other areas.
Break large goals down into smaller ones that can be accomplished a week
at a time. Go through the questions
below. Pick one or two things to work on
and see how positive changes in one area cause positive changes in the rest of
your life.
Activity: Experimenting with Change.
Answer the following questions for one or two goals, and
then, get started!
1.
The change I want to make is…Be
specific. Include goals that are
positive (wanting to increase, improve, do more of something), and not just
negative goals (stop, avoid, or decrease a behavior).
2.
My main reasons for making this
change are…
3.
What are the likely
consequences of action or inaction?
4.
Which motivations for change
are most compelling?
5.
The first steps I plan to take
in changing are…
6.
When, where, and how will the
steps be taken?
7.
Some things that could
interfere with my plan are…
8.
How will I stick with the plan
despite these particular problems or setbacks?
9.
Other people could help me in
changing in these ways…
10. I will know that my plan is working when…
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