Goals

“Progress not Perfection” Misti Gueron, MS, RDN

This quote, stated by a colleague of mine in reference to a patient discussing weight loss and diet, really got me thinking. How often do we set ourselves up for failure? Meaning, how often do we set goals only to beat ourselves up when we don’t reach our goal? Whether we have short-term or long-term goals, how can we set realistic and attainable goals?

1) Set a goal that is motivating

If you don’t want to do whatever it is that you are setting out to do or change, it is going to be quite difficult to achieve said goal. Perhaps you dislike working out but really want to lose those last few pounds. Maybe you want to have more personal or quiet time, but have a demanding lifestyle. Undoubtedly, you will encounter roadblocks to attaining your goals; otherwise they wouldn’t be your goals, as they would have already been attained. Think about what it is about the goal that motivates you. For example, what is the VALUE in the goal you are setting? Is losing the last few pounds or having quiet time valuable to you? What are you willing to do to achieve that goal? Does the value outweigh the obstacles?

2) Write it down

Have you ever tried to multi-task by reading something while responding to a conversation simultaneously? If so, I am guessing that while responding via writing or talking, you may have said or typed a word you were reading rather than what you meant to say. That is because it is very difficult to write a thought while thinking about another thought. Writing down your goals helps you concentrate on the goal and remember the goal. Research suggests that writing things down by hand helps you learn and cement the concept (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014).

3) Make a plan

Having a plan for how you are going to attain your goals helps to orient you to how you will achieve them. We often get fixated on the end result and forget the steps involved in the process. Make a list so that you have a guide and something to follow and check off as you complete steps along the way. 

4) Tell someone

Accountability is critical. We hope to be accountable to ourselves but sometimes we can cheat ourselves or convince ourselves, for example, that we deserve to have the dessert because we “earned it” even if our goal was to eliminate dessert. Research suggests that having someone to be accountable to increases our efforts and attainability (Irwin et al., 2012). If we can’t be accountable to ourselves, having someone who knows what we are trying to attain can help remind us of our goals.

5) Progress, not perfection!

Progress, not perfection really is as simple as it sounds. No one is perfect, and understanding that achieving anything worthwhile in life takes hard work and dedication. Essentially, don’t give up. It’s expected that some days will be harder than others, but reach out for help if needed and try to remember what motivates you to achieve the goal in the first place. In the end; it’s progress, not perfection.  ;)

Irwin, B.C., Scorniaenchi, J., Kerr, N.L. et al. ann. behav. med. (2012) 44: 151. doi:10.1007/s12160-012-9367-4

Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. doi:10.1177/0956797614524581

https://www.facebook.com/pg/drleannemiller/posts/