Keep a Positive Mindset with Parkinson’s Disease: Set achievable goals and celebrate their accomplishment

Menu: Tools to Maintain a Consistent Exercise Program

Lesson 9: Set achievable goals and celebrate when you achieve them

(Learned mostly from training for endurance races.)

Many people make the mistake of either setting vague goals that can never be achieved or set goals that are impossible to achieve.

Setting the goal of, “I’m going to exercise more” is not a good goal. How do you know that you have achieved it?

Instead set specific goals that are achievable with a time frame attached.

If you are able to walk a mile a day now, you could make the goal to increase that to 2 miles per day, 3 days per week for the next month. As you approach the end of the month, find a way to celebrate that accomplishment and then think of what you want to accomplish next. Perhaps, you sign up for a 10k that’s 3 months away and make the goal of walking the entire way without stopping. You can take it further and set some intermediate goals along the way.

It also helps to set some of your bigger goals with a friend. You and a friend could decide to sign up for a half marathon that’s 6 months away, and help keep each other accountable with some intermediate goals along the way.

Write your goals down. I find the notes section in my phone helpful, or even better, write it down on paper and post it somewhere you will see everyday.

For me, finding a race and signing up it has been very effective and helps keep me accountable in maintaining fitness. I make several goals around that race.

1. Get to the start line

2. Specific time goals for the entire race and intermediately.

3. Get to the finish line with a smile on my face

Interestingly, I find the most difficult of those is getting to the start line.

After you achieve each goal, make sure you take the time to celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishments, and then make some new goals.

I like the pneumonic of setting SMART goals.

Your goals should be:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based

Next: Find the humor in your faults

Menu: Tools to Maintain a Consistent Exercise Program