How goal setting can help you to help yourself
After a cancer diagnosis it is common to feel like you have lost control over your life and it is difficult to know where to start with the things you need and want to do. Setting yourself goals and having a plan in place for achieving them can help to motivate you by giving you a focus and direction, and helping you to feel productive.
How you set these goals will determine how successful you will be so it is important to focus on things that matter to you to keep you motivated. While your goals should challenge you, they need to be realistic. You may need to break the goal down into manageable parts by thinking about the steps you need to take each day to achieve it.
It is important to set yourself a time scale to achieve your goal to help give a focus for your time and energy. It is helpful to write down your goals and how you are going to achieve them within a set time frame so that you can see your progress. Actions to achieve your goals should sit comfortably into your daily routine. This keeps you motivated, increases your confidence and encourages you to gradually add more goals to increase what you are achieving.
It can be helpful to talk to your family/friends/health professionals about your goals; they can help you celebrate your successes along the way. You may find someone you know who wishes to work on the same goal and you can help motivate each other.
If you find you are not achieving your goals it is important to check whether the goal has been set at the right level or it may be that the time frame is unrealistic. It may also be that other issues have had to take priority. The main thing is not to become disheartened, review your priorities and if needed reset your goals. And remember, be kind to yourself and try not to over burden yourself by setting too many goals all at once.
An example goal might be:
Being physically active will help me manage treatment better. I want to increase how active I am before treatment begins.
To make this into an achievable goal, it could be set as:
I will be physically active for 30 minutes 5 days per week by the time I start treatment in 2 weeks time. When I can’t do 30 minutes at a time, I’ll do what I can and build it up throughout the day, aiming to do a little more each time.
Setting goals in this way are often referred to as SMART goals as they are:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.
The hardest step is often getting started but it might help to talk your goals through with someone close to you or a healthcare professional.