Create a 3-Step Plan To Be Your Best Self

February 19, 2016

Just as with any important project that you have at work, or a home do-it-yourself renovation, you need a plan.  In order to be your best self, let's create a plan by setting SMART goals that you can achieve! It has been proven that when people write down specific goals and review them on a regular basis, they are much more likely to achieve them.

Goals can be a great way to accomplish things that are important to you. In addition to achieving goals, it’s also important to focus on being the person you most want to be. Too often we ignore being our best self in the hustle and bustle of life, working tirelessly toward accomplishment.

There is a brilliant saying that reflects what can happen when we are so focused on accomplishments that we overlook other important aspects of our world: “A life rich in accomplishment is often poor in joy.” In order to have joy in our lives, we need to be the type of person we admire and respect while working toward accomplishing the goals that are important to us. Are you ready to be your best self? Follow these 3 steps below!

Step 1: This is Who I Want to Be

If you lived to be 90, what are some words/phrases you would like:

• Your partner or spouse to use when describing you over the course of your life?
• Your children (or nieces, nephews) to use when describing you over the course of your life?
• Any co-workers or employees (real or fictional) to use when describing you over the course of your life?
• Your friends to use when describing you over the course of your life?

Takeaway:  In one sentence, using the information from above, how would you describe the kind of person you want to be throughout your life? You have just described the type of person you want to be! At the end of each day, ask yourself these two questions:

• In what ways did I act like the person I described wanted to be?
• In what ways can I improve my behavior to be more like the person I want to be?

Step 2: All Areas of My Life

If you lived to be 90, what would you like to be able to say about your:

• Spiritual Life
• Relationships (Spouse/Significant Other, Family, Friends)
• Work/Career Life
• Financial Situation
• Health (Weight, Fitness, Nutrition, Physical Health, and Emotional Health)

Takeaway:  You have just defined where you want to get to in life and what you ultimately want to accomplish!

Step 3: Getting There in the Present

Specify one or two goals that you have for this year to get closer to where you want to be in each of the following areas of your life:

• Spirituality
• Relationships (Spouse/Significant Other, Family, Friends)
• Work/Career Life
• Financial Situation
• Health (Weight, Fitness, Nutrition, Physical Health, and Emotional

Now, let's figure  out how you will obtain each of your goals (specific, measurable):

What I Want	My Goal	Specific & Measureable Means
Honor my health	Sustain a healthy exercise program	· Exercise for 40 minutes, 4 days per week. · Play tennis, lift weights, swim, and yoga.
Lose regained weight	Get back on track	· Log what I eat every day. · Eat less carbs.
Have a job that I like	Get a new job	· Update my resume. · Post on job websites.
A stronger bond with my partner	Improve our relationship	· Have a heart-to-heart talk. · Schedule a weekly date night.
Be financially sound for retirement	Open a savings account for retirement	· Add 10% of each paycheck to my account. · Set automatic deposit to my account.

Takeaway:  You have just set your goals along with the steps you'll take to achieve them!

If you'd like a worksheet to help you with your goals, download my Goal sheet by clicking here!   You can also commit to your goals and stay focused on them by using the OH Goal System.

Give yourself credit for the good work that you do and remember… it’s all about progress, not perfection!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Connie Stapleton, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with nearly two decades of experience in the field of bariatric medicine. Dr. Stapleton is the author of three books, is a national and international speaker, and appears as the bariatric psychologist on three national television programs.  Read more articles by Connie Stapleton!

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