At the start of the new year, many of us are inspired to set goals, particularly goals related to health and wellness. Achieving these personal goals can be very rewarding and will have significant impacts on your quality of life and overall well-being. As a physiotherapist, part of my job is to help inspire and encourage those personal goals, and I am writing this blog to give you some tips on how to create, and stick to, those plans.
- Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. Keeping your goals S.M.A.R.T. will ensure that you know exactly what you are working towards and how you intend to do it.
Specific: Ensure you know exactly what it is you seek to accomplish.
Measurable: Make sure you can measure your goal in order to track progress.
Attainable: Your goal should involve something that is within your control.
Realistic: Set a goal that is significant enough to challenge you but is possible to achieve.
Time: Set a specific timeframe for your goal, and regular check-ins, to monitor your progress.
- Tell someone about your goals and plans.
Accountability is a powerful tool in keeping you on track towards your goals. A close friend, co-worker, or family member can be a strong ally in helping to achieve certain goals in your day-to-day life. For fitness and health-related goals, certain healthcare professionals such as your doctor or physiotherapist can be a great resource for personal, evidence-based information to help you progress and adapt your goals along the way.
- Keep track of your goals and plans.
You are your own most important resource for monitoring what you are doing and how you are progressing. Some strategies that can be successful include regular journal entries, keeping a calendar in a frequently visited area, using a fitness tracking app on your smartphone, etc. Just as you change over time, so do your goals, and recording them is a great way to ensure both you and your goals are progressing for the better.
- Set yourself up for success.
Particularly for health and wellness related goals, it is important before putting all of your energy into setting and accomplishing your goals, to ensure that you are in the proper mindset and physical condition you need to be in in order to properly execute your plan. Trying to push through a lingering injury, or beginning a routine with improper form, puts you at risk for an injury that could set you back before you even have a chance to begin. Your physiotherapist can be a valuable resource in helping you to set goals, as well as ensuring you are in the proper physical condition to achieve them.
These are just a few of the many strategies that I find have worked successfully for myself, and my clients in the past. If you use these tips consistently, you will begin noticing progress before you know it and it will give you the best chance of reaching and surpassing your goals for the New Year. If you have any other strategies that work for you, I would love to hear more about them and your story, feel free to reach out!
Stay safe and take care,
Daniel Sedran
Registered Physiotherapist
Founder and CEO