Most people do better with self-management if they have positive goals to motivate them, ways they want their lives and health to improve.

The most effective goals are medium term. This means something that you can achieve in about 3 – 6 months, although you can stretch those limits. Goals can be about physical fitness, like walking a certain distance, or they could be about your life, like going back to school or being able to play with your dog. They could be about work, like going home in time for dinner every night.

Some questions you might want to ask yourself in setting a goal: “Is there something I would like to do that my condition prevents me from doing?” “What would make me excited about getting out of bed in the morning?” “What does my body seem to want from me now?” It’s okay, desirable in fact, to ask for help from loved ones, friends, or professionals in developing your goals.

When you’ve got a goal, write it down and date it. Maybe share it with people you trust. You might want to record how you’re doing in moving toward your goal every week or so. 

You don’t try to reach goals all at once. You don’t go from couch potato to runner in one week. Break goals down into smaller, achievable steps and build up. These one-week steps are called Action Plans. Read more about action planning.