Written by 7 Simple Tips to Help You Achieve Your Health Goals
There are no two people who have the same health goals. A person’s health goals are often determined by their lifestyle, their circumstances, what they enjoy doing, and how they feel overall. It is one thing to set goals and yet another to actually achieve them. Below are 7 simple tips to help you achieve your health goals:
- Set SMART goals
By SMART goals, we mean specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound goals. The goals you want to set should be clear and specific. If you set yourself vague goals, chances are they won’t point you in the same direction. The best way to set measurable goals is to include numbers, dates, and any other number to measure your progress. For example, you can set a monthly goal for the number of hours of training per week. Keep in mind when creating your goals that they can be reached. If you set yourself a goal that is impossible to achieve, it will destroy your confidence and you will not have the desire to achieve the goal. Also, your goals should be in line with what you want your life to be. Finally, try setting time-bound goals. Goals also require a reasonable time frame to achieve your goals on time.
- Write down your goals
Writing down your goals will help you in many ways. First, it will help you to know more about what you really want. This was found to be true in a study which showed that 42% of people can achieve their goals if written down. Another reason why writing down your goals is useful is that actually seeing them serves as a constant reminder. This is why I recommend that my clients put them where they will always see them. If you are the creative type, now is a great time to create a vision board for yourself. A vision board is another great tool to help you visualize your goals, and gain inspiration while using your creative side.
- Make a plan
Once you have written down your goals, work on them and break each goal down into smaller steps or goals. Creating very large goals, can make them overwhelming and harder to reach. Also, most of the goals are not milestones in the contract, they involve a lot of work and time to complete them. You can say that you have to build a strong foundation which is the bottom of the pyramid to reach your goal which is at the top. Remember, as you go, to celebrate those small steps, not just the end result. Every success should be recognized and celebrated. Just as it is important to create a plan to achieve your goals, it is also important to change those plans when it is convenient. Every few months, review your goals and plans to make sure they still fit into your life. One thing in life that changes is change and if you want to change your goals or plan to support your life then do it, there is nothing wrong with that. As long as you continue to make progress in a healthy lifestyle, then you are good!
RELATED: How To Keep A Health Journal
- Stay Positive
Changing the way you look at things can make you feel better about the world around you. Things go on, that’s just life, how you choose to look at the negative is what will change you and your life. If you choose to see only the bad in a situation, you will feel negative, and when you think bad, you will be happy. What happens to happy people, or how they see it makes them happy. It is easy for people to focus on the negative, which in my experience working with others not only discourages, but also makes it easier to achieve goals. Make sure you follow the positive changes or aspects in your daily life. Positive thinking can make you less stressed and increase your chances of success. So, if you haven’t already, start a “good journal”, where you write 1-3 words every day. Do this for at least 21 days and see where it takes you! Learn from every situation, even a negative event can have a positive outcome if you choose to see it.
- Ask for help when needed
Asking for help can be almost impossible for some people. They are more than happy to run to help others, but they would never dream of asking for help if they are thought to be unable to cope or weak. Everyone needs help sometimes, and it’s important for your mental health to ask for help when you need it. If you don’t, your stress levels will increase, and prolonged periods of stress can affect your physical health.
When it comes to health, exercise, and nutrition, what works for one person may not work for another. However, when your efforts do not produce the expected result, something may be wrong under the skin. Don’t feel like the program hasn’t helped or that you’re not doing it right. It could be a hormonal imbalance, organ dysfunction, or slow metabolism.
You can consider visiting a doctor and doing laboratory tests to check your blood pressures, hormones, kidney and liver function, mental health, etc. Test results will provide an overview of your overall health and help you take a personalized and strategic plan to achieve your health goals. Also, early detection of any health problem will help you a lot!
- Be accountable
There are times when it’s important to keep your goals to yourself, not everyone needs to know what’s going on with you all the time. However, there are also times when it is very good to allow others to participate in your goals because it will create some accountability which, in turn, will increase your support system and help you stay. Using your friends for accountability can be a great support system, however, make sure they are not your “partners in crime”. You know the ones I’m talking about! Other job sites can be groups on Facebook that cover areas related to your goals or you can hire a coach or trainer.
- Keep your “why” in mind
When writing down your goals, be sure to write down the reasons for those goals. Knowing your “why” behind a goal is another great tool to increase your chances of success. Why, when motivation is running out of you and you are struggling to do what you have to do to achieve your goals, remembering your “why” will help you get through the bad times and stay in fear. I guess you could say, the “why” becomes the new motivation when the feeling of the original motivation wears off.
To achieve your health goals with the greatest success, you must set them with purpose. Getting fit, stronger, and healthier is great, but taking action to achieve it is even better.
