Achieve Your Goals Every Day

Summary

The article advocates for setting action-based goals rather than achievement-based goals to foster consistent behavior and create a system of habits for more effective personal development, particularly in the context of weight loss.

Abstract

As the year draws to a close, many people reflect on their past year and set resolutions for the new one, with weight loss being a common goal. However, the article suggests a shift from the traditional daunting achievement goals, such as "lose weight," to action goals that focus on regular, manageable behaviors. These action goals, like running for 15 minutes five times a week or practicing planking daily, lead to frequent successes and are less likely to result in feelings of failure. The article emphasizes that consistent action goals become habits, which collectively form a system that supports the overarching goal of weight loss. It also notes the importance of allowing for occasional missteps without considering them failures, but rather as part of the process. The author encourages readers to start implementing these action goals immediately, rather than waiting for the New Year.

Opinions

Traditional end goals, like "lose weight," are often overwhelming and can lead to a sense of failure.
Action goals are more effective because they focus on consistent, smaller behaviors that lead to regular wins and dopamine spikes, reinforcing the behavior.
Action goals can also involve reducing negative habits, such as cutting down on sugary drinks or smoking.
The transformation of action goals into habits creates a reliable system for achieving long-term objectives.
Allowing room for mistakes is crucial for maintaining motivation and commitment

By changing your approach to goal setting

The end of the year is upon us once again. Time to reflect upon the year gone and consider the year coming up. Time for resolutions. Many around the globe set resolutions to: get organised, quit smoking, and spend more time with friends/family and others. One of the most common pledges around the world is to lose weight.

I get it. I’ve been there, at the obese end. And I am still on the overweight wide. And that is what I’d like to achieve in the coming year. However, this year I’m not setting a goal to “lose weight”. My goal is something else…

Don’t Make Goals About Achievement

The goal “Lose Weight” is centred upon an achievement that is daunting and distant — an achievement goal. For many, it is a goal doomed for failure, leading to feelings of inadequacy and depression. It certainly has been for me in the past.

A better approach is to set an action goal — a goal that pertains to consistent behaviours that need to be taken regularly to lead to an achievement. Examples include:

Run for 15 minutes 5 times a week

Practice planking for 5 minutes every day

Eat chocolate only one day a week

Intermittently fast, eating only between 12–8 pm

By consistently following through on an action goal, you experience frequent wins, accompanied by a rewarding dopamine spike.

Consider Systems Instead of End Goals

Action goals are the building blocks of habits. Achieving these goals regularly over a period transforms them into ingrained habits — a collection of which becomes a system.

In the context of achieving weight loss, this system will encompass a group of habits about various aspects of exercise and nutrition.

An action goal can also be to abstain from a bad habit or reframe one — such as replacing sugary drinks with water or having no more than five cigarettes a day, and considering this goal achieved each day this is upheld.

Achieve Your Goals Every Day

By changing your approach to goal setting

Don’t Make Goals About Achievement

Consider Systems Instead of End Goals

Allow Room for Missteps

There’s No Need to Wait