Setting goals has always been a solid strategy to getting things done. Managing your health, and especially when you you have type 2 diabetes, is easier with clear goals. Research by Dr. Gail Matthew at Dominican University shows that structured goal-setting and accountability can make all the difference between success and failure. Take a look at what Dr. Matthews found:
Write It Down
When people wrote down their goals—like eating healthier, exercising regularly, or getting 7-8 hours of sleep—they were 42% more likely to achieve them compared to those who just thought about their goals. When a goal is just a thought, it is kind of fuzzy, and it is easy to weasel out of it, because it wasn’t concrete. It was just a good idea.
So, grab a notebook or app and jot down specific targets, like “Walk 30 minutes five days a week” or “Eat five servings of vegetables daily, or “go to bed by 10 pm 5 nights this week.”
Add Accountability
Adding accountability really boosts your chances of hitting your goals. It can be as simple as sharing your goals with a supportive friend or spouse and sending weekly progress updates. Dr. Matthews found that people who did this had a success rate of 76%, compared to just 42% for those who keep goals private. Just knowing that you are going to have to give account to someone else helps you take your goals more seriously.
So, grab a friend, family member, or coach to share your wins and challenges. You can make it as difficult or as easy as you want. The accountability is the main thing. And keep it up. It can be a simple update saying, “I took a walk after dinner 4 times this week (I wanted to do it 5 times) and I went to be by 10 pm only 2 nights this week. I need to work on that still.” Or you can make it harder, so that you commit to doing some detestable task if you don’t hit your goals. That’ll get it done for sure.
Supercharge with Coaching
If accountability brings success rate up to 76%, then working with a health and wellness coach takes accountability to the next level, potentially pushing your success rate even higher than 76%. Why? Well, besides the weekly check-ins, a health coach can help you troubleshoot obstacles, explore alternative strategies when your initial plan falters, and connect with your deeper motivations—whatever they are for you. By helping you see the ambiguity between what you really want and your current actions (which won’t get you what you truly want) a health coach can walk beside you while you choose goals that truly matter to you and set up a plan to work steadily at achieving your goals. After all, health and wellness coaches are behavior change experts.
So, those three steps can take a nebulous goal and make it a reality in your life. Write your goals down, get an accountability partner, and (if you are really serious and want to ensure your success) get a health coach.
Source: Matthews, G. (2015). The Impact of Commitment, Accountability, and Written Goals on Goal Achievement. Dominican University of California. (https://scholar.dominican.edu/psychology-faculty-conference-presentations/3/)
