Setting Goals

Please click on the video below and watch the video on setting goals.

Run time: 6:35 minutes

• Setting small goals that you can reach can help you start to take control over your pain and your life.
• You don’t need to cure your symptoms to get some relief and start doing activities that you like.
• The goals you set for yourself help by:
  • Improving your symptoms
  • Helping you get things done
• Your personalized goals can be related to exercise, creative hobbies, relaxation, socialization, or housework.
• Goals should be personalized.
• Set goals that are both challenging and realistic to manage pain and improve function.

Setting SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym used to create goals that can help reduce pain and improve function.

• Specific: Be clear about what you want to accomplish.
• Measurable: Decide how you will track your progress toward your goals.
• Attainable: Goals should be a little challenging but still achievable.
  • Your goals may change as symptoms get better or worse.
• Relevant: Focus on goals that help your symptoms and quality of life.
• Time-oriented: Decide when and how long you carry out your plan to manage your pain or improve function.

The Action Plan

After you have goals set, the next step is to create an action plan to help reach your goals.

• Decide what you will be doing.
• Choose when you will do it.
• Include how often you will do it.
• Setting up an action plan makes them more attainable.
  • The action plan helps you stick to the goals and eventually reduce your symptoms.

Let’s walk through an example together. Pretend you have decided that you want to exercise to help manage pain. To give yourself the best chance at success, create your action plan and be specific:

• What: Walk around the block.
• When: Every morning at 9 a.m., after waking up.
• Duration: 30 minutes.
• Intensity: Walking at 3.5 mph speed.
• Frequency: 5 days per week.
• Evaluation: Stick to this plan for 2 weeks and then check to see if your goal is still reasonable, achievable, and relevant.