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Health Made Easy with Dr. Jason Jones


Thank you for choosing to listen to the Health Made Easy Podcast.  We strive to take complicated health topics and break them down into the day-to-day practical steps you need to take to transform your health.  

Jan 22, 2019

Setting goals is important for anyone who wants to accomplish anything in life. There is always a difference between people who set goals and those who don’t. When all is said and done, one thing remains: goal setting is a skill. The problem that many people have is that they do not know how to effectively set goals. As a result, they never achieve their goals.

There are different ways of effective goal setting which include:

The purpose way

We often find it beautiful and amazing to set goals but often find ourselves lacking in motivation to meet them. The problem is that if something is not in your heart then you will not feel like doing it. If you look motivation from within and are always looking for outside motivators, then you are more likely than not to fail in your goals.

The traditional way of setting goals is to set them based on what you think you should be doing or accomplishing rather than what your deepest dreams, desires, passions, and calling are. The former is a superficial way. When you set goals based on what you think, you may achieve them but you will end up dropping them along the way.

 

The expert way

Today, there is really no excuse for anyone not to set goals. Why? There are many available resources you can utilize to help. People have specialized as goal setting consultants. In addition, there are even goal setting templates that can help you set your goals.

As mentioned, goal setting is a skill. Sometimes it can be difficult to set goals on your own. Why don’t you ask for the help of an expert such as a consultant? If you are setting health goals, you can enlist the help of your doctor or health care provider. They will keep you accountable for the goals you set.

Nevertheless, you should set them yourself because then you will be motivated to keep them. If someone else sets your goals for you, it would beat the whole purpose of goal setting. Ask for help but don’t be over-dependent on someone else to set your goals for you. In any case, it is about your life and not theirs.

The smart way

The smart method of setting goals is through the pneumonic:

S-specific. Your goals should target a specific area

M-measurable. You should have a way to measure your progress

A-achievable. Your goals should be within your skill and knowledge range

R-realistic. Goals should be set based on available resources

T-timely. Your goals should have deadlines

The woop way

This is a recent goal-setting model developed by the psychologists Gabriele Oettingen and Peter Gollwitzer. It is a pneumonic that stands for:

W-wish. Wish for something that you want to accomplish

O-outcome. Imagine the best outcome of your goal and how that would make you feel

O-obstacle. Think about the obstacles that would hinder you from accomplishing your goals

P-plan. Make a plan on how to deal with the obstacle