Goal Setting & Action Planning

One of the most useful steps when working with people with long-term conditions is to use goal setting and action planning.

For many people, changing our habits and behaviour can be difficult, so helping someone find small achievable steps they can take is a proven strategy for incremental behaviour change. One of the keys is making sure the person chooses the goal themselves rather than being TOLD what they should do! Then you can check how confident they are they can do it, help them problem solve any potential barriers and follow up with a phone call a week or so later to provide additional support and accountability.

The following video shows how this can be done.

Small steps over time can lead to significant improvements 


SMARTER Goals

When setting goals with someone, another important aspect is helping them come up with a SMARTER goal.

S – specific

M – measurable

A – action based and accountable

R – realistic

T – timely

E – enjoyable

R – recorded

For instance, a goal of “I want to be skinner…” or “I want to be happier…” is not specific and does not identify an action or behaviour you can do on a regular basis to help you reach your goal of being thinner or happier.

A better goal would be “I will lose 5 kg over the next two months by following the eating plan from my dietitian.”

Examples of Useful Goal Statements

“I will improve my asthma control by taking my preventer inhaler twice a day” – this is a specific action you can take that will make a difference.

“I will improve my diabetes control by walking to work 4 days per week so I get 30 minutes exercise (15 minutes there and 15 minutes home) on Monday, Tuesday, Thurs and Fridays and at least once in the weekend. If it rains, I will catch up by using my exercycle in the evening.”

“I will improve my mobility by going to the arthritis swimming programme three times a week on Mon, Wed and Friday mornings”

Again, this is specific, realistic and timely. Being specific about when, where and with whom is also useful. The more specific your goal is, the more likely you are to follow through and do it. Likewise, writing it down is very important. Stick it on the fridge, bathroom mirror, calendar, in your diary or all 4 places! Seeing it recorded regularly will help you keep it in mind and to stay focused.