Setting Goals for Diabetes Management Requires a Plan

Here are 6 ways to get clear about your goals for 2022 and how to make a plan to achieve them.  Last time we talked about the importance of, instead of setting resolutions for the new year, setting goals.

This time we're going to talk about setting goals for diabetic management.  This requires a plan.

What is a goal? It's something that you want to achieve, whether it's a personal goal or a business goal, or a goal connected to your diabetes. An example of a goal that you might have in 2022 for your diabetes care could be getting your hemoglobin A1C down to a certain number. It might be reducing the number of carbs you eat each day. Meeting these goals will require a plan.

How do you go about that? Here are some steps. The first one is to set one to three simple goals for next year.  Make them as clear as you can.  They should have meaning for you. Your goal should be something important that you want to achieve. You want to change it, stop it or start it, right?

When you set a really clear goal, this reduces your overwhelm.  By setting one, two or three goals, you are setting yourself up for success. The great thing about achieving a goal is that once you achieve one goal, it becomes easier to achieve the next one because you feel the confidence and the trust in yourself to take the next step and achieve that next goal.

Next, visit your plan daily or weekly. It's important to keep your goals right in front of you so you will be constantly reminded that this is important to you and that you want to do.

Next, state your goal in positive terms. For example, you might say, "I have to exercise because I have to lose weight."   That has a negative feel to it. But what if you turned it around and said something like "I'm going to start exercising for my health, for my brain and for better blood sugar control."  This positive statement makes it a little easier to implement it in your life.

Next, be optimistic about your goal and how you're going to achieve it. It doesn't really help you to say, "I don't think I  can really achieve this goal." But if you said, "Yes, this is a good goal, and I'm going to do my very best to achieve it," you will have more success.  And yes, "I may stumble along the way. That's okay." 

Because what you're really doing is creating a new habit and that's important to understand. This is something you're going to be doing possibly for the rest of your life, not just something you're going to do for next year.

So, you need a plan. Let's say you want to bring your hemoglobin A1C down a percentage point.  How would you go about doing that?  Sit down and have a think about what steps I need to take that will get me there?

It might be increasing your exercise by 20 minutes a week, or doing a different kind of exercise, maybe adding some strength training. It might be changing what you're eating, maybe eating less carbohydrate, maybe eating in a in a more time bound eating cycle.  These would be the steps that you want to work through in order to achieve your goal.

Think about the timeline for achieving these goals.  Some of these changes, particularly adding more exercise or changing what you're eating take time. Expecting these changes to be done in a month for a permanent change might not be realistic. Giving it time, maybe six months or a year would be more realistic.  Where do you want to be at the end of the year? What goal(s) do you want to achieve by then?

Finally, you might want to think about doing a vision board.

I've done vision boards before, and it's required magazines, cutting out pictures and glue. I recently learned a different way by doing it on a PowerPoint slide. I can find the right images to express the feeling behind the pictures. The one above is a sample one.  Think too about the categories where your goals fall. 

When you have a beautiful vision for 2022, put a copy of it up all around your house so you see it all the time.

My own vision board is posted on my bathroom mirror, on the bookshelf in front of my desk, on my filing cabinet and as a screen saver on my computer. It's always in my view.  It's interesting because just the short time I've had it up in front of me, I've been thinking about them and planning for them.  I'll tell you when I've set goals before I set them and then I forget them so this will help me stay focused on them.

A vision board is a great idea if you're interested. I hope you determine what goals you want to achieve for yourself. Take the time to get clear about what you want to happen and then make it happen.

Thank you so much for listening and have a great holiday.

Dr. Elaine

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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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