As we all know, life can get busy and as a result it can be easy to neglect our health. However, by defining clear health goals we can start on the road towards a happier, healthier life. Setting specific, measurable goals for our overall well-being is a powerful tool that can provide us with focus, motivation, and a sense of purpose.
Change isn’t something that is natural to human behaviour. What’s in rest likes to stay at rest. However, what’s in motion also likes to stay in motion. Goal setting promotes change and makes the process easier as it’s not something we naturally do. Having structured goals in a set plan will help promote behaviour change. Since change doesn’t happen naturally, writing down our goals will ensure a sense of continuity and consistency with the behaviours we are trying to put in place.
A Health Coach can help with this process. Not only can they help us create structured goals, but they can provide support and accountability as we work through change. There are many strategies that a Health Coach can use, one of them is going through the exercise of writing down and defining our goals.
We can begin to define our goals by determining our why. Your why is the deep-rooted reason for making healthy behaviour changes. It therefore allows you to align your goals with your values, passions, and purpose. Finding our why is a very important part in the goal setting process. In addition to creating focus and motivation, our why can give us clarity and assist us with building resilience.
Once you’ve identified your why, the next core step in effective goal setting is to start small and build on your success. Starting small will help individuals achieve long-term success by building momentum and motivation. We start small because our confidence increases by creating a sense of accomplishment. In addition, when we start with small goals, we have a better chance of making healthy behaviour change a habit.
When our goals become integrated into our daily routine, we can begin to build on them and create more positive changes in our life. Starting with short-term goals also allows us to see our success sooner! The more short-term goals that are implemented at the beginning of our behaviour change process, the easier it will be to have positive momentum.
As you dive into your own process with goal setting, it’s important to identify your values and start small! Change can be a difficult process for many of us and having a Health Coach in your corner can make all the difference. A Live Well/Bien Vivre Health Coach can provide the support, guidance, and accountability to make your goals a reality.
Written by: Stephanie Melanson
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