Setting Goals Archives - Oh My Heartsie Girl

5-Steps-for-Creating-Change Many people want a different life. If you’re reading this, you probably fit into this category. Maybe you work too much, don’t make the amount of money you need to make, don’t spend enough time with your kids, or you want a different career. No matter the reasoning, there is a feeling inside that just won’t go away. A feeling of anger, discontent, overwhelm – something is screaming at you that there’s got to be more to life. If this is true for you, the following steps can help you get to work creating the change you want.

Identify What You Want to Be Different

Oftentimes, people feel unhappy or unsatisfied with life, but they can’t seem to change it. One of the reasons is that they’re not even certain what they’re unhappy or unsatisfied with. And in order to make a change, you have to know what you want to change.

You can often do this by journaling. It may take some time, but over a few journaling sessions, you should be able to pinpoint what differences you would like to see.

Set Goals for Change

After determining what you want to change, it’s time to set goals to make it happen. A very effective method to do so is to set SMART goals. These are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based goals. This method helps you get to the specifics of what you want and how you’ll get it, which helps you make an actionable plan to achieve that change.

Pinpoint Obstacles

Often, people try to change things, but quickly find themselves back in the same position. And that’s usually because they don’t pinpoint and address obstacles. For example, it’s hard to control spending if you don’t avoid infomercials or take a credit card into your favorite store. To succeed, you will need to turn off the TV late at night or carry cash only into your favorite store.

To make effective changes, you need to determine what your obstacles are. Usually, this is a habit or an action you regularly take, but it can also be a person. Controlling spending is difficult if your best friend is constantly tempting you to go shopping.

It’s important to identify triggers of negative actions, whether it’s a person, place, or thing. And then, you need to create a plan to address or avoid them.

Be Active

Even if the changes you want to make have nothing to do with health and fitness, being active can impact the changes you do want to make. While the benefits of exercise are endless, a couple to consider are that it increases your self-confidence and sends more oxygen to the brain. More confidence can help you attack your goals, and increased oxygen can help improve your focus and thinking skills.

Take It Slow

Once you’ve set your goals for change, it can be tempting to dive in headfirst. Unfortunately, moving too fast can lead to burnout and may cause you to give up if you’re not seeing the results you want.

In order to achieve your goal, you have to set a slower, steady pace. Don’t sprint to the finish line. Change is a journey, one that takes time and one that can teach you a great deal along the way. If you rush it, you’ll miss many lessons and likely won’t create lasting changes.

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How Do You Decide On Goal Setting?

Learning how to lose weight can be a tricky topic, depending on how it is approached. There are tons of online sources that mention the best ‘new way’ to achieve your weight loss goals, but a large portion of these plans will have negative consequences on your health if you choose to pursue them. For instance, you have undoubtedly heard a few people and articles state that the way to go about it is to eat less. This is, firstly, a short-term solution, and it will only cause your mind and body pain.

Everyone that wants to live a healthy life, and achieve their ideal weight, must do so by following the best possible alternatives. As one example, adopting a new diet plan that is better for you will do wonders. To find out how to properly lose weight, continue reading and follow these tips.

The right diet

The food you eat is the number one contributing factor to your body weight. When you constantly consume a diet that is highly processed, high in sugar and fats, you are not only gaining a few extra pounds, but your health will suffer as a result of it. When was the last time you prioritized eating fruits and vegetables with every single meal? Consistency and well-balanced food are key for optimal health.

Moreover, there are certain diet plans that if followed through will help you achieve your weight goals. Finding the perfect one will depend on your body type. It is important to always ensure that the plan you are following is provided from a credible source, and you can even run it through with your family doctor, in order to get their opinion. One example that has worked for people in the past is the ketogenic diet plan to lose weight, which follows the idea of a low carbohydrate diet. Make sure that you are eating several times a day, not just one, and always think about more than short-term results.

Emotional eating

If you are prone to emotional eating or consuming food when under stress, you need to learn how to control the urge in these types of situations. The chances are that you will also opt for food that isn’t healthy or ‘comfort food’. The next time you get into an argument with a loved one or feel stressed at work, consider taking a short walk outside or engaging in another activity to take your mind off, as opposed to grabbing a bowl of chips and ice-cream. You will be thankful for your choices later.

Exercising

Exercise goes hand-in-hand with diet, and you will not be able to maintain your ideal body image if your entire exercise routine involves you walking to and from the fridge. There is a fitness plan for everyone, no matter how busy your life is. Whether you exercise in your living room, at a gym, go for morning or evening walks or involve yourself in another type of recreational sport, you should make a habit of keeping active for at least a few minutes a day.

Positive reinforcements

Every decision that you make is due to the fact that you set your mind on it. Your thought process has a huge influence on how you lose weight, and it is important to give yourself positive reinforcements along the way. It is easy to look in the mirror and be unhappy with what you see. However, the more negative thoughts that enter your mind, the harder it will be for you to be happy and achieve any goals that you set for yourself.

Changing your habits

Choosing to maintain a healthy weight is also a step towards healthier habits, and you need to give yourself time to achieve it. As you may have already heard, nothing good is achieved overnight. When you are aiming to change the course of your everyday routine, you must stay motivated by determining why it was you started in the first place. In this case, why is it that you started adopting a weight loss plan? There is no such thing as perfection, but you must live your best life by making healthy choices, thus allowing you to live longer and be happier.

Get family and friends involved

Any plan, if done with friends and family, will be much easier to follow through. For instance, setting aside time to work out every single day can appear to be a cumbersome task, especially if you are finding it hard to stay motivated. The more people that you recruit to make meal plans with you, exercise and so on, the more fun it will be to practice your new habits. No to mention, everyone would be healthier as a result of it.

Set goals for yourself

It is incredibly important to set weight loss goals for yourself and ensure that they are also realistic in nature. For instance, if you have an upcoming event that you want to look good for, that is a good enough reason to start, but also make sure that you are not doing anything that will negatively impact your health only to slim down for a single night. As already mentioned, weight maintenance is not about a short-term fix but instead changing your everyday eating habits for the better.

People who achieve their weight loss goals will feel accomplished – and as you should! Feeling good and looking your best can brighten anyone’s day and maintaining a good weight for your body type will also improve your overall health. Keep in mind that if a certain diet plan or exercise routine is not working for you, and is making you feel worse than before, you will need to switch gears. Still, there is nothing like putting on a perfectly fitted dress when you have reached your desired physique or wearing a newly tailored suit that fits you like a glove. Weight loss should never be a short and fleeting thought that enters your mind. Rather, it must be a long-term change to your everyday habits that will help you make better choices and improve your quality of life in the process.

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