Try These 5 Simple Steps for Setting Health Goals

There’s some real wisdom in the saying that goes “a goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Have you ever felt like you were working hard and took all the right steps for setting health goals but, at the end of the day, you just weren’t making any progress towards them?

That might as well be a rhetorical question, right?

Of course you have. We all have.

And being the go-to wellness chiropractor in Franklin, TN for everyone from…

• Lisa and Matt working and living at the speed of their three kids…
• To second year basketball coach Noah…
• To first year yoga student Kim…
• To retired master sergeant Ben…

And so many others – we’ve seen, heard, and helped people from all walks of life follow some SMART steps for setting health goals.

Bottom Line:

The truth is that most people often feel “stuck” when it comes to their health goals right about this time every year.

They set goals, take a few action steps for setting health goals, but never seem to accomplish very much for one reason or another (except for Diane, the little old lady next door that just won’t quit – but we digress).

And one thing we’ve noticed is that the problem really isn’t a lack of motivation… it’s the lack of clear and SMART goals.

Why it Matters:

Following these 5 SMART steps for setting health goals can make all the difference in your follow through.

These structured goals make it easier for you to clarify your thoughts, focus your efforts, and use your time to your advantage.

Following such goals can also increase your chances of not only achieving but perhaps even surpassing your expectations.

5 SMART Steps for Setting Health Goals

Let’s break down our SMART acronym…

1. Make It Specific: Make your goals specific for more effective planning. Think what, why, who, where, when, and which.
2. Make It Measurable: define how you are making progress. Think how much, how many, and how will I know when it’s done.
3. Make It Attainable: make them reasonable to accomplish. Think about how you can accomplish it and be realistic about any constraints you might have to contend with.
4. Make It Relevant: your goals should align with your values. In a word, it should be worthwhile to you personally.
5. Make It Time-Based: set a date of completion. Your goals can be short-term or long-term (today, 6 weeks, 6 months, etc), and this step in particular can help you focus and prioritize multiple goals.

We usually cover these steps for setting health goals with those who came to us after searching specifically for a wellness chiropractor in Franklin, TN online.

As you may have guessed, they’re looking for more than the standard adjustment, and most all have told us that this framework along with our care and guidance really did make all the difference in their new year’s resolutions and other aspirations.

Let’s circle back to Lisa and Matt for a moment.

Both were active runners before becoming parents, and they hadn’t run a marathon together for 5 years.

They wanted to make this the year they finally got back to it, so they made a SMART plan.

1. Specific: They wanted to start running together 3 times a week for 20-60 minutes (ideally, they would increase the minutes logged every few months), stretch on off-days, and visit our office at least once a month.
2. Measurable: They would log their runs on their kitchen calendar, using various colored markers to represent the times.
3. Attainable: They’ve both run marathons in the past, so while it had been awhile, this was in both of their comfort zones.
4. Relevant: They had always enjoyed running, even before they met, and reviving their hobby was important to them.
5. Time-Based: There was a local marathon put on downtown every year, so they knew how long they’d have to prepare.

They stuck to their SMART steps for setting health goals and did, in fact, finally enjoy that first marathon together!

Next Steps:

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

It couldn’t be more true.

A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.

A plan backed by action becomes reality.

There is no better time than right now to take some simple SMART steps for setting health goals to improve your wellbeing this year.

That said, we also want to add that living a healthy life is a journey, so be sure to celebrate each step of your progress, no matter how seemingly small.

And know that our team will be here to help guide you along the way.

When it comes to health questions, health challenges, and resolving those nagging aches and pains that have been holding you back from reaching your goals, it’s smart to start by reaching out to the top wellness chiropractor in Franklin, TN.

Whether you’re looking for…

• Whole-body chiropractic adjustments
• Guided exercise and stretching recommendations
• Or diet and lifestyle advice

We’ve got you covered, and we’re here to help!

Just give us a call.

Science Sources:

SMART Goals: How to Make Your Goals Achievable. MindTools. 2022.