Setting goals and keeping motivated can be difficult when life catches up. Creating long lasting habits can be a way to improve your quality of life. Keeping active and healthy gives you more energy and time to do the things you love.

Our Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Jacinta, and our Accredited Practising Dietitian, Ana, have provided some simple tips to help you get back on track.

  • Keep it real – Be realistic – small changes are more successful long term.
  • Find your motive – Why do you want to set this goal?
    • Doing my hand rehab regularly will help me braid my daughter’s hair again.
    • Journaling most days will help me keep perspective and avoid lashing out to my family and friends.
    • Being aware of my eating habits will ensure I lose weight for my 25th wedding anniversary.
    • Nutrition adequacy will help improve my energy to play with my kids in the backyard after work.
  • Accept the 80/20 rule – The all-or-nothing approach (100/0 rule) leaves no room for the unexpected (i.e. life). Instead choose an 80/20 approach.
    • If you are completing your action plan (e.g. hand rehab or journaling) 80 percent of the time you will still achieve your goal. The other 20 percent of time means you can be flexible and avoid falling off the band wagon completely. Recognise you are achieving positive behaviour changes the majority of the time.
  • Visualise how you would like to feel – Where do you see yourself in 5 months?
    • Imagine your ideal self and what that looks like – having this visualised allows you to plan ahead and gives you a focus.
    • This could be things like: I’d have more energy, I’d sleep better, I’d have less periods of high blood pressure.
  • Forget the stigma –work to your goals and to your speed
    • It’s not going to be a drastic change, instead you will make little changes each day to get you to a better place.
    • You will never be given something too difficult to implement, changes are designed to be achievable long term.
  • Small changes are more sustainable –
    • Avoid making drastic changes. Little changes are more likely to be accepted by your mindset. Small changes each day will get you to a better place.
  • Be SMART – set smart goals
    • By setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Action-planned, Realistic, and Time-limited; you’ve taken all the guesswork out of it.
    • Now just follow the recipe. For example, to braid my daughter’s hair, I will complete my hand exercise at home for 15 minutes, 5 days of the week, for 6 weeks.
  • Collaborate
    • Having someone to keep you accountable can be a great motivator. They can celebrate your wins and help you get back on track.
    • Collaborate with an expert if you’re stuck. Our clinicians consider every aspect of your environment and life to ensure you are getting the most change. This can be lifestyle based, family focused, budget specific, based on the equipment you have available, and accessibility.

Why not try the community approach?

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are experts at behavioural change and getting you into the right mindset to successfully manage your health independently. AEP’s can come to your gym, your home, or the local pool.

Our Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) work on the premise that food is therapy, and they empower you to reach your goals. They also work at different general practices across Townsville; why not visit one near you?