Goals can be an exciting part of positive behavior change until well...they aren’t.
As a Certified Life and Health/Wellness coach, I find that my clients lose sight of their goals and forget to take regular assessment. As a result, a feeling of failure emerges which can be extremely discouraging and lead to increased anxiety and depression. But what if I told you that there’s a simple, preventive tool that I could teach you in just a few paragraphs?
Interested? Keep reading.
I want you to ask yourself the following questions. Do you find that you…
Set goals at that are not fitting for where you are?
Get easily distracted by other things in life?
Lack clarity on what the next step is to achieve your big picture vision?
Forget to adapt goals as life changes?
Forget the goal itself?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, I’d like to introduce you to one of the most basic, but game-changing tools I use with my clients. It’s called the self assessment tool. You can assess yourself and your goals in different ways, and in the way that appeals most to you. I recommend that you begin taking assessment daily; if not twice, at least once a day. Here are three quick, easy, and effective ways to assess where you are with your goals.
Scale of 1-10
On a scale of 1-10, how confident am I that I will accomplish my goal today?
High marks of 7 or above usually indicate high self-efficacy with little need to adjust. Marks of 6 or lower usually indicate that the goal you have in mind is not specific, measurable, actionable, realistic or timely enough for you at this moment. Don’t be afraid to reassess where you are ready to make change happen and set micro goals that are more attainable.
Grade A+ to F
We're taking it back to grade school for this question. What grade would I give myself on my goal success today (or yesterday)?
Just like your school's grading scale, the higher the grade, the more affirmative and appropriate the goal is. If you are marking yourself an A+, then it might be time for a more challenging goal. Alternatively, a lower mark is usually indicative that the goal itself is not the right fit right now, so it's time to reassess.
The pulse check
When you check your pulse, you are checking to determine your heart rate, the cardiovascular function of the heart and lungs, and more essentially, you're checking for life. This assessment is giving you a total pulse on how you are doing with your goals. Here are a few ways to think through that.
How do I feel in my goal(s) today?
Feeling this way makes me _______.
I now believe/think________.
I need to change ______ in order to get closer to my big picture goal.
I will adapt/try _______ today.
A little more thorough and open to interpretation, this assessment is by far my favorite for those struggling to make strides of any size. I even encourage journaling regularly with this assessment to see how far you have come with your goals.
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– Casey Edmonds, CHWC, CPT, CMS
Health Advisor | Email Casey
