Whatever personal goals you have set yourself for 2016, it is important to understand why sometimes we don’t achieve our goals – usually, it is because we have not thought carefully enough about what goals to set and why we are setting them. Sometimes we may set goals that are not realistic, or we may simply not have gone through a proper process of analysing what it is we would like to change. Sometimes we may also allow others to influence us and end up putting pressure on ourselves to achieve things that aren’t appropriate to our own situations.
Goals may be to do with lifestyle changes (diet, exercise etc.) or they may be to do with career progression, financial management, family life - anything. For a person with MS, goals may also be about managing symptoms such as fatigue on a daily basis and setting parameters for what is realistic and manageable.
One commonly used model for goal setting is the SMART system – setting goals that are Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.
Can Do MS offer some insight into the thought processes that we go through when considering making changes to our lives.
The National MS Society (US) has some really useful advice on goal setting, including thinking about what goals we want to set and why and how to set SMART goals.
RethinkMSRelapses is a website that offers some good advice on goal setting following a relapse.