Goal setting for our mental health

Do you set weekly goals? Having goals helps align our focus and promote a sense of self-mastery – it gives us purpose. Rather than allow one week to roll into the next, having a goal or checklist (even if some weeks are less productive than others) allows us to trust that we’re headed in the direction we want to be going, which in turn, offers clarity and purpose.

Setting goals not only motivates us but can also improve our mental health and our level of personal success. Once we start to feel a sense of achievement in one element of our lives, we can begin to apply this to others. In turn, we start to gain more confidence in our ability! This has a snowball effect.

Goals, by the way, don’t have to have a numerical or monetary value. They can be a feeling!

When it comes to wellness, I like to consider my goals in different categories:

Physical

• Are there any athletic goals I want to achieve, and why? What steps am I going to take to achieve this, and is it sustainable? Does it honour my body, my cycle, and does it support healthy ageing?

Attitude

• Is any part of your mindset holding you back? This can also include being gentle with ourselves!

Mental Health

• Does the movement that I am doing make me feel good overall?

Setting goals can help trigger new and positive behaviours and routines, can guide our focus and can help us sustain a feeling of momentum in our lives. By having defined goals or aspirations, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a pointless grind.

Do you set goals? Why is this important to you?