Setting goals is essential to achieve targets, whatever they might be. When it comes to improving your health, often willpower is tested and setting goals that are most optimal are highly effective.
So, what makes an effective goal setting strategy?
7 SMARTER principles of goal setting
Specific – Your goal has to be precise and detailed in its aim. If a goal lacks direction, it can make it difficult to monitor progress and see actual improvements to the very objective you are trying to achieve.
Measurable – Your goal should be easily quantifiable and trackable. This enables you to be able to measure progress and make changes to your strategy to ensure you can achieve your goal. Furthermore, it also allows you to know when you are likely to achieve your goal.
Achievable – Your goal must be achievable. While it shouldn’t be too easy either, it should always be achievable in a reasonable time frame.
Relevant – Your goal should be relevant to the activity it is applied to. Goals require careful consideration to make sure they relate appropriately.
Time bound – Your goal should be time constrained. Having shorter time frames to work towards can help reduce boredom and loss of interest. Without time bound goals, there is no sense of urgency or commitment needed.
Enjoyable – Your goal should be enjoyable and motivating so that you do not lose interest. Motivation or a loss of interest is a notable limiting factor when it comes to maintaining the effort required to work toward a goal.
Rewarded – Make sure you reward positive achievement and specific milestones. Incentivising achievement is a widely accepted method for instilling habits such as continued effort to working toward a goal.
Aspects of health where goal setting can be effective
Effective goal setting can be applied to the following aspects of health, give it a try!
Diet
A healthy diet is important, making sure you have a balanced diet is as equally important as getting adequate calories. 2500 calories per day is recommended for men and 2000 calories per day for women advised. It’s also important to account for food groups that you may be lacking the sufficient amount. Fruit and vegetables are often neglected, a food diary may help to summarise what you are eating and where you could improve your diet.
Sleep
Sleep is essential but often overlooked, it helps to regulate important bodily functions including the immune system, memory and appetite. Willpower plays a considerable role as it is easy to stay up later than intended while not appreciating the knock-on effect when it comes to poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep.
Exercise
Staying physically active helps to improve fitness and safeguard against health conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Exercise should be enjoyable; this is the fundamental element to ensure that you do not lose interest and give up after only a few weeks.
Sexual Health
Sexual health is important but not often talked about. For example, for health conditions that are sensitive it is important to take action and be proactive. In addition to seeking advice, treatments are regarded as the first line therapy option. Common male sexual health conditions such as erectile dysfunction and male pattern baldness, can be treated with clinically proven medication. Pharmica is the most trusted UK online pharmacy – treatment for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra is highly recommended and readily available. Similarly, finasteride is one of the more popular treatments to treat hair loss in men.
Unhealthy lifestyle factors
Smoking and drinking excessively are two lifestyle factors that can have a significant adverse impact on your health. It is common knowledge that giving up these particular vices can help dramatically improve health, quickly.
Goal setting is at the heart of harnessing willpower to have a positive impact on your lifestyle, try the above tips for promising results.
