goal setting Archives - Defying Diabetes

2022 has just begun, which means all of the ‘new year, new me’ propaganda is being thrown in everyone’s face.

Please remember

Don’t get me wrong, setting new goals and making positive lifestyle changes is vital! This is all part of growing and developing, but sometimes the whole hype around having to set a year’s resolution can be toxic and unsustainable.

So please don’t get dragged into this. Some red flags to look out for include people or posts making claims like ‘how to lose X amount of weight in 2 weeks’.

Remember it does not have to be a new week, month or year in order to make a positive change.

A summary on how to make sustainable changes

Make a list or mind map of goals you would like to accomplish (short and long term)

Pick your top 3 MOST important goals

Make them realistic and specific – I.e. breaking long term goals into smaller tasks.

Find motivation, and more importantly discipline – ask yourself why you set this goal? This is why you get up everyday and complete a small task in order to reach that important goal!

Remember to look after your mental health. Prioritise tasks that you enjoy, self-care is productive and is an essential part of getting to where you want to be.

Embrace your emotions – if you’ve had a bad day, it is what it is! Take a few hours or even days off, let your emotions out, then get back to it!

For more info, check out How to set sustainable goals for yourself!

Thank you for reading The New Year’s Resolution ‘hype’, I wish you a very happy new year! I hope you found this post useful! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out 5 foods packed with hidden sugars! and Jack Iredale on managing type 1, while playing professional football!

This post is a bit different, and more lifestyle based! But I think this is a really important topic because it is great to know how to set sustainable goals at anytime of the year.

Knowing how to set sustainable goals for yourself is an amazing skill to have for development in all areas of your life. Learn how to set sustainable goals and keep yourself accountable by reading on!

1. Make a mind map

First of all, I want you to get a blank piece of paper, write ‘goals’ in the middle, and write down what you would like to achieve in the different areas of your life.

For example a category for fitness, lifestyle, business and other interests.

The reason for this exercise is to identify what is most important to you, and sometimes we don’t realise until we have actually written it down!

Now that you have a visible map of potential goals, it’s time to make a sustainable plan to achieve these goals. I would recommend selecting your top 3 most important goals from different categories, such as achieving a new personal best in the gym, taking up an activity that helps you to relax and a business related goal.

2. Be realistic and specific!

Setting realistic and specific goals is vital, and that is why breaking down a big goal into smaller, specific tasks makes it more likely you will reach your end goal.

Don’t get me wrong, being ambitious is an amazing quality to have, but to achieve you must break your goals into small sustainable tasks, as this is much more realistic!

I’ll give you an example, if your goal is to deadlift 100kg in the gym, you need to have a set plan which will lead you to achieve this goal.

This can be a workout plan can be set by a personal trainer or found online. Now that you have a weekly task of lifting a specific amount of weight for a specific amount of reps, you have a plan! By focusing on these small weekly tasks, you will soon achieve your big goal of 100kg!

3. Keep track and find your motivation!

As you edge closer towards your goal, it is great to keep track of what you have accomplished so far.

Acknowledging your little achievements is one of my biggest tips for motivation! Motivation comes and goes, so it is essential to find the reason why you want to reach a goal, and the reason to be resilient.

A great method for keeping track is writing everything down in your diary or a separate note book. I also like to list my small tasks for each day and tick each item off once it has been completed. This is really satisfying and can help you to feel like you have accomplished a lot!

Furthermore, keeping track of the process of completing your goal is fantastic for personal growth. Once you have completed your first goal, you will know what methods work for you and this can be applied to all goals you have in the future!

4. Prioritise your mental and physical health

Sometimes the process of reaching a new goal can feel very daunting, so to take some pressure off I recommend finding an activity or two that help you to relax and de-stress.

Block out some time in your day, which can be as little as 10-20 minutes to complete a task for your mental and physical health.

Try to find one activity for your mental health, I personally like to do colouring, or part of a jigsaw puzzle to clear my head. And then try to find a physical activity, for example walking, skipping or yoga to prioritise moving your body!

Make time to declutter your head a priority because people tend to work best with a fresh mindset! A lot of people actually become more creative when they are completing a relaxing task, so prioritise self-care time!

Thank you so much for reading my tips on how to set sustainable goals! I hope this helps your goal setting so you achieve and feel proud of yourself! Remember to always drop me an email or message if you would like further information on any topic! And I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this blog be sure to read Top tips on alcohol consumption and diabetes control! and my Simple guide to fitness with diabetes!