Okay, this may be a nerd moment, but I love making a good goal! Thankfully, I chose the right profession because goal setting is a huge component of what we do with our patients - setting them, working towards them and then making new ones after we accomplish them. Exciting, right?
BUT, what I find with many people is that they want to jump straight towards the action or implementation part of a goal. "I want to be able to run a 5K, so I'm going to start right now" or "I want to lose weight, so I'm going to the gym today". That's great to have the motivation and want to take immediate action, but if you want to be successful in achieving your goals you also have to plan AND pre-plan your goals. I know, I know. It sounds like extra homework nobody wants to do, but I promise that it's worth it! In the pre-planning phase, you are really trying to find out the foundation of your goal. Let's go with the common example of getting in shape. You would want to know "what do I want to change," "what direction do you want to go," and "where are you" in relation to your goal? This is where a physical therapist evaluation and assessment can be beneficial in determining what your baseline is in relation to your goal, ways to prevent injury, and maintain health and wellness throughout goal achievement.
In the planning phase, this is where you get into the nitty-gritty. How am I going to accomplish this goal? What will my day look like with the integration of this goal? Is this too much for what I want to do right now? How can I make steps forward while making sure this is realistic for my life?
When we are making changes, we want to take big swings right out the gate and can get discouraged when they're not all home runs. Physical therapy can help you break down your goals into bite-sized pieces to track your progress along the way for practical and meaningful change. Goals can be so much fun! Make sure that you are setting yourself up for success by making realistic and meaningful goals to you. Once you pop, the fun won't stop! You'll want to keep going and achieving new goals. Let us know as always if we can help you in achieving all of your fitness, health, pain, and wellness goals!
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