Setting goals to manage your diabetes isn’t just about what you want to achieve — it’s about how you’ll do it, and when.
Set yourself up for success by making your goal SMART:
Let’s unpack each of these a little more!
Vague, general goals may sound great, but they don’t often get met. Make your goal as detailed as possible so you’re more likely to rock it. Write a full description of the goal, what you want to achieve, and what you’re going to do to get there. The more specific your description, the better chance you’ll have at reaching your goal.
Ask yourself these questions:
A loose, vague goal might sound like:
But a specific goal could sound like:
This means there is a “before” and “after” that you can measure to track your progress toward your goal and when you’ve successfully achieved it. It might be a number that changes up or down depending on what success looks like, or a scale from 1 to 10, sad to happy, or high to low. Or it might be a visible, physical change.
No matter what your goal is, it means breaking it down into one or more measurable elements.
Examples:
It’s OK to shoot for the stars, but your goals should be realistic for your current state of health — in your mind and your body.Your goals should be reasonable so you can meet them and feel successful. Be sure to set goals that you think you can accomplish rather than goals that will set you up for failure.
Examples:
Why is this goal important to you? Will achieving it help improve your health? Make sure your goal is worthwhile so you’re more likely to stick with it.
Examples:
Set a start date and deadline for each goal. Make them realistic yet flexible if you need to adjust slightly (perhaps your goal was to jog for 15 minutes but you can only do 10 minutes). With a time frame, you can visualize the finish line for your goal. Motivate yourself by noting your deadline on your phone or wall calendar or a sticky note on your fridge.
Examples:
You can get healthier by getting SMART!
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.