Good Gut Goals
Last week on our Gut Happy Blog we talked about planning and some useful steps about planning for a happy gut. We asked the question do you have gut goals? And that started us thinking about how to achieve the goals you might have. Planning as we discussed, is one way to help you stay on track, give order to the process, and also give you focus, but how do you even start with your gut goals. What do you want to achieve is a great place to start? For some it’s weight loss, for others it’s an improvement in health, you may want to cut down on alcohol, sugar or carb intake? Do you just want to detox? There are a million different goals, but narrowing down one is a good place to start.
Is your chosen goal realistic and achievable? Many of us have tried to diet and failed and setting weight loss goals is one of the toughest challenges, but still achievable. This is one of the reasons at Gut Happy we don’t diet, or frame gut health as a weight loss goal. We live a way of eating every day. Maybe you have a specific health issue you want to attend to. If you have been able to get to the route cause of your health issues, that is the first step to getting on the wellness wagon. Now to staying on it. Here are a few points that could just help you to achieve better health and attain the hard fought goal you have been working towards.
Be realistic – seek out a goal that is not going to set you up to fail. Make it achievable. Think of the impact on your daily life and work out if you can fit it in, live with it and live well. There is no point in trying to set a goal that is just not attainable. Ask advice if need be and then once you have decided commit to it.
Have some objectives – You may want to break your objectives down into daily, weekly or monthly mini goals. This way you are trying to achieve a manageable slice of the goal one step at a time and not looking at the entire vision. This can help you stay motivated and as you achieve an objective it can build confidence and resilience and give you renewed determination to achieving the end goal.
Consistency is key. This is something that we all struggle with as there are times that whatever you face, you feel like you have fallen off the wagon. Don’t treat missteps as goal failures. Get back up, get consistent again and keep going. Be consistent and then persistent. One fall, does not equate to a complete failure and if you fail, use it, learn from it and move on. Don’t live in the failure.
Reward success! Yep give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Now be cautious with the reward, if you are trying to remove sugar from your diet and you go a whole week without any added sugar, probably best not to go and eat a Kit Kat. Think of something that brings you joy, a walk on the beach, having coffee with a friend or something that you find soothing. Don’t reward with what you may be trying to avoid.
Seek support – get a friend or family member on board with what you are trying to achieve. Let them know what goal you are working towards and tell them when you achieve an objective or even when you have a failure. Sharing your journey is part of the process and when you have someone on your side cheering you on, it can be the difference between meeting your goal and maybe not. A cheer squad can get you over the line.
Take one day at a time. This is really about not looking at the whole picture, but what is in front of you. Wellness can be a long journey to attain and if you have had issues that have built up over a number of years, it’s important that you are patient with yourself and your body. Healing can take time, one day at a time.
Focus on one goal at a time. By focusing on one goal you don’t overload yourself. One goal is achievable, 10 goals much harder to achieve and to maintain focus. This is really about being realistic with what you can cope with. Just like one day at a time, one goal is best.
There are many other points we could have added, but this is a great starting point. I’m a planner as I said last week. Planning for my nutritional needs and that of my family helps me to stay on track. My nutritional goal every week is to consistently eat as many nutrient rich foods as possible. I have been doing it for so long now it is just second nature. Habits can take as little as 30 days to form, but can take three times that amount to break. Keep your goals realistic, achievable and get the cheer squad on your side. You can do it, Tamara and I are cheering you on, one Gut Happy goal at a time.
The Gut Happy Girls
xxx