Goals that Help, Goals that Hurt

Goals that Help, Goals that Hurt

Remember to Think Positive

-- By Dean Anderson, Fitness & Behavior Expert Spark People

How do you know if the goals you set are "wise"—i.e., the right goals for you? Setting goals that don’t suit you can be the root of much avoidable suffering. You can determine whether your goals are helping you or hurting you in three easy steps:

Step 1: Take a close look at the words that express your goals.

Take a moment to read over your goals. If you keep them written in your head, jot them down on paper quickly before you read further. Done? Now look through your goals for any of the following words: NO, NOT, NEVER, STOP, LOSE, REDUCE, LIMIT, or QUIT. If these negative words (or similar ones) play an important role in the way you have stated your goals, you may be setting yourself up for problems. Here’s why.

Words are very powerful! They focus your attention in one area while other possibilities fade away. When words are negative (like those above), their results are negative. When you say, for example, that you will "Stop eating chocolate," what are you really doing? You are focusing your attention on the very thing you want to avoid—chocolate. IF going without something you want when it is always on your mind were easy, this might work. But, we all know that "out of sight, out of mind, out of reach" works a lot better.

Step 2: Do your goals deprive you of something you want (or think you want)?

If so, you’re just setting yourself up for feelings of deprivation, resentment, and rebelliousness. How many times have you gone a day, a week, or even longer without caving in to a food on your forbidden list, only to find yourself binging on it later, as if out of sheer spite? Contrary to belief, making something off-limits isn’t the best way to maintain control. It'll get that 2-year-old inside us really geared up to do battle.

Step 3: Do your goals set you up for failure?

Framing your goals in negative terms creates an all-or-nothing situation, where even one small slip means failure. And we all know where this leads—"Well, I’ve already blown it, I might as well enjoy it and start over tomorrow," which turns into next week, next month, or next year. Soon you feel like you can’t control your own behavior, but aren’t sure what to do about it.

It all starts with the words.

The great thing about having the capacity for language is that we can use words to help ourselves want what it is best for us to have.

Framing your goals in positive terms makes reaching them that much easier. Positive words allow you to:

*Focus on what you really want, and on what is helpful and achievable. This creates positive energy and momentum instead of feelings of deprivation and resentment.

*Adjust your plans when you have the inevitable slip-up or bad day. Instead of giving up when you mess up, you can make small changes to balance things out.

*Check in with yourself before you act. Ask yourself if what you are about to eat will help you reach your goals.

*Have true freedom of choice, rather than forcing yourself to rely on will power alone. We just aren’t designed to white-knuckle our way through life, always resisting what we think we really want.

So, go through your goals with a fine-toothed comb, and make sure they are positive. Focus on what you DO want to eat and what you WILL accomplish—not just on how many pounds you want to lose. Keep track of your calories as a necessary tactical measure, but don’t confuse going over on any given day with "failure." There’s more going on than what happens on any single day, and well-framed goals can help you keep that in view.

 Can you give some examples of positive ways to phrase goals? 

Negative: I won't eat bad foods.

Positive: I will make food decisions that support my health and weight loss goals.

Great article. Thanks for posting. While I think making goals is a very personal thing and each of us has to evaluate what works best for ourselves, this definitely provides food for thought.

One of the things I have found very helpful in my WLS journey is NOT attaching a time limit to my goals. I see so many folks who say I want to lose this amount of weight by this date. And I feel so sorry for them when they post that they feel like a failure because they are one or two pounds away or one or two days late. They cannot celebrate and appreciate their wonderful achievements because they set themselves up for almost inevitable failure instead of sure success.

I have set goals for myself: Twenty pounds, Onederland, getting out of plus sizes, my wedding ring fitting, normal BMI (right around the corner, but definitely taking its time) but I just say I will reward myself WHEN I get there. That way it's always a celebration and something to work toward. I have know that as long as I stay true to my program, exercising regularly and getting in my protein and fluids, I WILL SUCCEED. I have been EXTREMELY true to my program and see that my body has a mind of its own and I reach my milestones only when my body says I can no matter what I do to get there faster.

That said, this method of goal making may not work for someone who has a difficult time staying true to their program. Someone who tends to snack or struggles to get in their regular physical activity may need to attach a time frame to their goals to motivate themselves to reach them. Goal making is definitely a person decision and successful goal making requires more thought and effort than simply picking a number and date out of thin air, but can really make this journey a positive and rewarding experience.