Accountability, Goal-Setting and your personal Health
If you have come to me as a patient with questions about how to improve your healthy lifestyles, I’ve probably coached you through a goal-setting process.
Goals are intended to help orient you toward a healthier lifestyle, but also give me, as your provider, something to which I can hold you accountable as we continue working towards your target.
Goal setting is one of my favorite things to do in life. I see goals as a way to be sure that I’m making time for the things that are most important to my life, family and health.
In my practice, I generally start by helping you pick 2-3 areas to improve on. I’m also going to ask you to find the “why” that motivates you to work on this goal. I often call it the “why that makes you cry.” I can’t write that why for you, but what I can do is hold you accountable and remind you of why you started in the first place.
How to Set Health Related Goals and Stay Accountable
Write SMART Goals
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
This is a strategy that businesses have used for 40 years to help build success. Using these criteria to write a goal helps to increase the chances of achieving the goal. It is also a great way to celebrate your own successes and measure your achievements. Here are some examples of how to modify your goal to make it SMART.
Goal #1: Quit smoking.SMART: By January 1, 2023 I will cut back to 2 cigarettes/day. I will do this by reducing two cigarettes daily per week from now until then.
Goal #2: Lose weight in 2023.
SMART: I will research three different eating plans and sign up to try a free week at a gym by January 30.
Goal #3: Get more sleep.
SMART: I will get 6-8 hours of sleep at least 5 nights a week by setting an alarm on my phone 8 hours before my scheduled wake up time, reminding me to go to bed.
Accountability Partner(s)
It is much easier to keep up your excitement for your goals when you have someone to share your “wins” with. Ideally, this person should be someone well matched who wants to work just as hard as you do. When you fall short, they should remind you of your “why,” what was your deep, motivating reason to set this goal? When you meet your goal, they will be there to give all the high fives and accolades. When you’re just not sure you have the strength to push through, a text or a call with some encouraging words can make all the difference.
I recommend having a routine time you review your goals and achievements each week, either with a 15-minute phone call or an e-mail report. Treat this with as much importance as any business meeting. This is not a time for making a lot of excuses. Celebrate a “win” – the achievement you are most proud of, give one “clear” – one thing that got in the way of your goals that past week, and then give your report. A group of up to 4-5 people can be successful and still give their report in under an hour.Get more details about accountability groups in this podcast interview that I did with my very own accountability group in 2020.
Re-evaluate Regularly
These goals are not written in stone. At least every two months, I recommend taking a look at your goals. If you have not been meeting the goal, consider whether the motivating reason was strong enough. If the goal is coming very easily now, perhaps you have developed a strong habit that you no longer need to keep track of. Goals can be changed for the season of life or, for that matter, the changing seasons. In the summer you may have a goal to spend 30 minutes gardening each day whereas in the winter you might choose to walk at an indoor track 3 times a week.
As we close in on 2023, I encourage you to sit down with a warm cup of coffee in a quiet space and put the pen to the paper. Consider what areas you would like to improve on in the next couple of months, whether that be nutrition, fitness, self-care, management of a chronic health issue, sleep or other. Invite a couple of friends to join you on this new beginning.