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Take Action - Goal

Take Action - Goal

A goal is something you aim for. It gives you direction and keeps you focused.
Whether you want to tone up your muscles, eat more vegetables or even lose weight, setting “SMART” goals makes it easier to achieve results.

 

SPECIFIC

What exactly do you want to get done? A specific goal answers the What, Why, and How.

  • What are you going to do?
  • Why is this important for you to accomplish?
  • How are you going to do it?

 

MEASURABLE

How will you know if you have reached it?

 

ACHIEVABLE

Do you have the attitude and skills to successfully reach your goal? This doesn’t mean easy—you just need a realistic expectation of accomplishing it.

 

REWARDING

Is your goal really worth achieving? What do you expect to get in return for accomplishing your goal?

 

TIME-BOUND

Having a clear deadline for accomplishing your goal will help motivate you.

THINK ABOUT THIS: Think of yourself 3 months from now–what do you want to be different about you related to your weight or your health? What do you want to be doing differently at that time? Now zoom ahead to a year from today, can you imagine yourself–how you will look and feel after practicing these new behaviors for all that time?

 

TAKE ACTION…..  ACTION PLAN

  •  What are you going to do?
  • When are you going to do it?
  • How much are you going to do?
  • How many days a week are you going to do it?
  • How confident are you to get it done?

Action plan examples:

  • “This week I will walk (what) for 20 minutes (how much) before lunch (when) three days (how many).”
  • “This week I will eat (what) at least one serving of fruits or vegetables (how much) at each meal (when) every day (how many).”

Think about your goals for a healthy lifestyle. Then think about something you would like to accomplish this week that would get you closer to your goal. On your action plan write down exactly how and when you will do this. It might be related to eating, exercise, cooking, shopping or feeling good. Here are some things to think about to help you write your action plan:

Confidence

Your confidence level is an indicator of how certain you are that you will succeed with your action plan. Using a scale of 0 – 10, with ten being the most confident, how confident are you that you will complete your plan? If your confidence level is lower than 7, think about changing your action plan to make a smaller change. It’s better to be successful in small steps than to overwhelm yourself with more than you can accomplish.

  • How confident are you they you can achieve your goal for the week? If you are not very confident, change your action plan.
  • Setting a goal is a way to set you up for success. Remember, small changes add up to big successes.

 

ACTION PLAN IDEAS

Limit eating out to less than once a week

  •  This includes fast food and take out

Eat breakfast every day

  • Can be fast and simple

Eat family meals at regular times

  • Turn off the TV/screens
  • Sit down and dine together

Aim for at least 5 fruit and vegetables every day

  • Goal is for 2-3 fruits and 2-3 veggies/day

Choose healthy snacks instead of packaged snacks

  • Eat from a variety of fruit
  • Avoid processed foods like cookies, chips, candies

Drink water instead of sugary drinks and juice

  • Do not keep soda, juice, or other sweet drinks in the house
  • Try flavoring water with a slice of lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber
  • Try non sweetened sparkling water

Drink nonfat or 1% milk

  • Do not add powder or flavoring (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry)

Get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day

  • This can include playing at the park, doing a sport, joining a class
  • Try to add walking briskly and taking the stairs when possible every day
  • Fit in family activity as much as possible

Limit Screen time (TV, computer, video games, phones)

  • 0-2 years old, discourage screen media exposure.
  • 2-18 years old, limit to no more than two hours a day.

Screens should be kept out of children’s bedrooms

  • Enforce with Parental Control apps, locks, and passwords
  • Do not eat distracted by screens.

Get enough sleep:

  • 2-4 year olds need 11-13 hours/day (overnight plus naps)
  • 5-11 year olds need 10-11 hours/day
  • 12-17 year olds need 8-10 hours/day
  • Avoid screen time (TV, videos, phone) 1-2 hours before bed to avoid having difficulty falling asleep