7 Traps of Goal-Setting that are Sabotaging Your Patient's Success

Goals.

We love to make them, but sticking to them is a whole other story. 

43% of people lose momentum at the end of January.

Researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them.

Understanding why patients fail to meet their goals, is crucial to crafting strategies for sustainable success.

Goal-setting should be extremely personal for the patient and strategically different in a way that uniquely excites your patient.

I believe, goals should go beyond meeting a number on the scale.

Hear me out:

Let’s say your patient wants to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, That would be realistic since there are about 26 weeks in 6 months and we typically aim for 1-2 pounds of weight loss each week.

However, what if at the end of 6 months they only lose 11 pounds. Have they failed because they didn’t achieve their goal?

What about all of the incredible new habits they’ve picked up over the last 6 months while working toward weight loss. Do those account for nothing?

When we only focus on a weight goal, the entire journey is missed and the patient feels like a complete failure, when in fact, they’re not.

Goal-setting that strictly focuses on a scale-outcome often breeds self-criticism and self-condemnation, adding stress to our already hectic lives.

Let's help our patients set goals that foster a journey toward self-love and compassion.

So let’s get into common traps of goal-setting

Trap 1: Not reflecting on past successes and failures.

An important place to start is having the patient consider scenarios in the past when he was successful at achieving a goal. It doesn’t have to be health or weight related.

Why was he successful? What about that goal felt doable for him?

Also, equally important is thinking about past failures.

Why was it hard? What was preventing him from committing to that goal?

Trap 2: Setting overly ambitious goals.

We tend to set aggressive goals at the beginning of a weight loss journey. Patients are eager to lose 75 pounds and be bikini-body ready hoping that with enough willpower and self discipline, they will be successful.

But both of these fall short in the face of the inevitable daily grind and uncertainties of LIFE.

The remedy for this trap: shrink the goal.

Shrinking the goal to small, daily attainable habits is the best way to maintain consistency.

Make the goal easy. 

Ask your patient, "what actions can you do to support the new habit? What can we do to make this easy?" 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imagine if you felt confident answering your patient's nutrition questions?

And you could provide advice that actually improved their health outcomes?

Right now you're reading a small part of the Nutrition Wrap-Up newsletter.

I release a NEW issue like this each Sunday.

Join 1,000+ smart clinicians who read the Nutrition Wrap-Up weekly.

Subscribe today to get the latest issue (plus a few helpful freebies)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Trap 3. Not planning for obstacles.

Unfortunately, most days don’t go exactly as we had planned.

We hit snooze too many times and now we don’t have time for breakfast, or the baby spit up all over our clothes and we won’t make the 9 o’clock gym class, or we received terrible news at work and just want a Twinkie on the drive home.

Obstacles are a fact of life, but we can plan for (most of) them.

So have your patient think of every possible scenario, even worst-case, that could interfere with their goal and how they can overcome the issue.

This will reduce the possibility of setbacks or failure. 

Trap 4. Strictly focusing on the outcome, not the process.

Without clarity in daily actions, our behaviors quickly go back to a comfortable default as willpower and novelty diminish. 

The remedy: make the habit enjoyable.

Have your patient consider: what is the way to move closer towards my goal, without adding too much friction to my life? What are some enjoyable actions that support my goal? 

If your patient can find a way to group together their new habit with a behavior they already enjoy, it makes it much easier to want to do it.

James Clear calls this temptation bundling.

It works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need do. 

Trap 5. Setting goals alone.

Studies show that people who set up a way to be accountable for them will be twice as likely to achieve them.

Accountability means that you are responsible to someone to accomplish the goal; this can be motivating for some.

As healthcare providers, we can be that accountability partner.

Biweekly or monthly check-ins can be so beneficial for the patient to know they aren’t doing this alone.

If this causes too much anxiety or guilt for the patient, then I would suggest they find a community of like-minded people to connect with. 

New habits seem achievable when you see others doing them every day.

Trap 6. Setting vague goals.

You know the ones: “Be healthy. Lose weight. Live longer. Exercise more.”

These are too vague. 

Weight goals can be frustrating for the patient if they don’t meet that number, however measurable actions are easier to attain.

For example, I will exercise 20 days out of the month or I will eat dinner at home 5 days a week.

Trap 7. Being ready, but not prepared.

We all know the saying: proper preparation prevents poor performance … this is true in business, school, and in health.

Being ready is easy. But being prepared is a whole different story.

This is where getting really clear on your patient’s desired outcome is SO important.

What is the reward they’re looking to achieve from this new behavior?

Yes, they want to lose weight, but what is the actual benefit they’re looking forward to. Is it feeling sexy in a bathing suit, is it feeling proud at their daughter’s wedding, is it fitting into those old jeans? Is it getting off those meds?

THE SHORT OF IT 💥

Having a goal is just the beginning, it's the daily activities that matter most.

To go deeper into this topic and learn a strategy to help your patient set better goals, check out this episode.

❤️ Your Nutrition Mentor,

Colleen

Did you enjoy this quick read?

The best clinicians incorporate solid nutrition tips into their patient education.

But finding the right words, with limited time is challenging.

I'll teach you how to do it.

Sign up for my Nutrition Wrap-Up newsletter to learn exactly how to discuss nutrition with your patients. As a subscriber, you'll also get actionable nutrition freebies along the way.

Subscribe to the Nutrition Wrap-Up today!