By: Jessica Mohr, FNP-C

Have you taken a U-turn or been redirected towards a detour while you were trying to reach your ultimate destination?

Here are 5 empirical strategies to help you reclaim your goals and to stay committed for the long haul. 

1.     Set Specific, Achievable Goals

Make them SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). It is important to understand why goals that you set for yourself are important to you. According to a study published in PubMed, individuals who set specific goals were more likely to achieve them as compared to those with ambiguous goals. Therefore, instead of making broad goals such as” I want to lose weight” or I want to “sleep better” aim for specific measurable points of reference, such as “I am going to exercise for 30 minutes, 3 days per week, or “I am going to avoid screen time 1 hour before bedtime”.

2.     Practice Self-Compassion

Most of us tend to agonize over past failures. This behavior will only impede your progress towards reaching your health goals. Practicing self-compassion is vital to overcoming setbacks. Practicing self-compassion while achieving goals involves being mindful, being kind to yourself, providing reassurance to yourself, practicing self-care, breaking down your goals into SMART goals, celebrating accomplishments; even the small steps taken can enforce positive behavior, practicing gratitude, connecting with others, and abstaining from negative self-talk. Self-compassion can help motivate you to reach your goals because you learn to care about yourself enough to reach your full potential, rather than focusing on the fear that results from negative self-talk leaving us left feeling inadequate.

3.      Implement Behavior Change Techniques

Setting SMART goals is a proven strategy for lasting behavior change. Incorporating interests with the changes (listening to your favorite music while meal prepping) can make changes fun and exciting. Fostering a supportive environment and social support can lead to success. Tracking your goals frequently will create awareness towards your progress and any potential issues that may arise so you can adjust your SMART goals accordingly. Lastly it is imperative that we reward ourselves along the way.

4.      Focus on Small Wins

Commending small achievements along the way can enrich our confidence. Confidence can improve motivation because it can help you feel more energized to keep stiving for the wins.  Those who achieve small wins are more likely to feel encouraged and motivated.

5.      Cultivate Resilience

Embracing change and challenges will transform your view as an opportunity to learn and grow. Doing something that moves you towards your goals every day gives you built-in resilience. Remember that failures are a natural part of the journey and resilience is about how you respond and adapt to them.

In conclusion, having self-compassion allows you to focus on what you do well and teaches us lessons learned from failures. Positive thoughts shift our focus to what is possible. Making realistic goals will help to avoid negative thinking. It’s not about perfection, but progress. Every step forward leads to the goal of a healthier, happier you.