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Your health in 2010

Steps 2 & 3: Your Action Plan

If you have a SMART Goal, whether it be a health related goal, or something else for 2010 you need to set your action plan.

Why? If SMART goals are the rudder for life, then your action plan is your GPS unit to guide you to your destination. With a clear path and direction, it is also important to see how you are going along the way.

Lifestyle Programs

Last week we told you how to maximise your chances of success when it comes to your health in 2010 by setting a SMART Goal. Here's an example:

S	I want to reduce my risk of bowel cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
M	I will be eating 5-9 serves of fruit and veggies per day, regularly exercising and will maintain / achieve a healthy weight. I'm over 45 so will consult with my GP twice per year.
A	I will need to ensure I plan meals and set my environment up appropriately, I will also need to plan some exercise as well as work out what type and how long for.
R	This goal is realistic. The barriers I will face can be overcome and I have allowed enough time to adjust my behaviours accordingly. My GP believes this is important
T	I will achieve this goal in 6 months.

The next step is work out the "blue print" for your SMART Goal. Your Action Plan

What is it?

An action plan lays out the specific steps that you need to take to achieve each of your goals. The most common reason that people don't reach their goals is because they don't have an action plan. Your action plan tells you "how" you will achieve your SMART goal. It will also tell you how you will "know" if you have achieved it. This will cover Step 2 & 3 in Lifestyle Change in 5 Simple Steps.

The next step in achieving your goal is to write your plan of action. To help, you may like to close your eyes and imagine what it will be like when your goal has been achieved, then think about how you did it.

What's in it?

Your action plan will have the following in it:

Your resources What are you going to need to achieve your goal, where will you get them from. Do you need more info or advice, equipment, space, technology, calendars or schedules to help keep you on track
Your barriers & strategies Let's work out what might trip you up now instead of finding out when you are least prepared. If you can identify your barriers now you will be able to identify how to overcome them and be prepared when they rear their ugly head. list your barriers and how you will overcome them
Your support network Who is on board? Who will support you when things get tough? Who are you going to tell of your goal that are likely to agree and help you stay committed? This is important, especially if your list contains like minded people committed to the same goal
Your steps to success Like any decent plan there needs to be a list of the steps you are going to take and by when. The first three steps should be included in your steps to success
Monitor your progress How will you measure success? This should have been outlined in your SMART goals but now is the time to list the details. what dates are your milestones, would a short term, medium term and long goal help?
Your rewards What are the rewards of achieving your SMART Goal and the subsequent progress goals you have set? Start with extrinsic rewards (e.g. night out at the movies if short term goal achieved) then try and include an equal amount of intrinsic rewards (e.g. increased energy from achieving weight loss goal)

For example:

My Resources
Enough fruit and veggies / per week, exercise plan, new shoes, 5 new initial recipes high in vegetable / salads
Barriers
Time: plan daily menus, shop once a week on Sunday mornings, schedule 2x30 minutes of exercise into every day and use at least one
Support Network
My GP, My Wife (wants to lose weight), My work colleague who has a family history of bowel cancer, My kids (love riding their bikes), My indoor cricket team (big bragging rights if I succeed, ugly if I don't)
Steps to Success
Initial consult with GP: Next week, Wednesday 4.30 pm ID 5 veg / salad based recipes from dusty cookbooks: Saturday (before Sunday shop) Map out riding track and walking track near home and near work with kids: Weekend First grocery shop (with family): Sunday morning New shoes: Sunday morning after groceries: Sunday Morning Plan weekly meals (weekend can be choose your own adventure): Sunday afternoon with family Schedule exercise for the fortnight: Monday morning after emails (whilst eating banana for morning tea) Week 1 - eat at least 2 serves of fruit and vegies with each meal daily then re-evaluate at end of week Week 1 - do at least 30 minutes of something every second day then re-evaluate at end of week Email this plan (Monday morning) to support team and discuss with Wife and Kids (Sunday afternoon)
Monitor Progress
Short term (two weeks): Achieve above "steps to success" in a fortnights time Medium term (3 months): "Enjoy" activity daily for at leats 30 minutes and eat 2 pieces of fruit and 1 1/2 cups (3 serves) of cooked veg or 3 cups (3 serves) of salad daily Long Term (6 months): GP confirms risk has reduced based on initial consult. Daily exerciser and eating 5-9 serves of fruit and veg daily
My Rewards
Every week where targets hit enjoy "favourite" bottle of wine over Saturday dinner Every month where targets met enjoy a dinner out with wife or family at a new restaurant Weight loss, increased energy, improved appearance Increased quality time with kids May improve fitness to the point where able to coach sons soccer team Prove to indoor cricket team able to achieve the goal!

Next week; Looking at how you think of yourself and how it affects your chances of success.

Australian Lifestyle Medicine Conference

If you are a member of the Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association (ALMA), work in the area of allied health or primary care or just interested to know more about this unique area from the leaders in Lifestyle Medicine check out ALMA's National Lifestyle Medicine Conference set for March 2010.

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