If you have atrial fibrillation (AF), you have a greater risk of having a stroke and other heart conditions. As well as starting your treatment plan, making some changes to your lifestyle can help improve your health, manage your AF and lower your risk of complications.
Thousands of people with heart problems have used goal setting to change their lives and their health.
It is important that the goal is something for you – something that you really want to achieve. When you have a health condition, life continues to go on around you.
Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending a few weeks solely focusing on our health and recovery – we still need to get on with daily life and all the obligations, pressures, and twists and turns that this brings. If you want to make a change in your life – whether this change is related to your health, wealth or happiness – you are more likely to succeed if you:
Set a goal that is really important to you and write it down
Plan how you are going to achieve the goal
Get support from those around you
Brainstorm how you can overcome challenges and build your confidence.
Advice for setting exercise goals
Setting a goal
Set a goal that is really important to you and write it down.
Health may be only one of the important things going on in your life or worrying you. There are many things that can make it hard to take time to look after yourself or make changes. What is most important to you at the moment?
whānau/family
friends/community commitments
home environment/belongings
work/career or study
money/finances
spiritual health/wellbeing
social life/hobbies
other things?
Examples of the goals
Here are some examples of the goals that other people have chosen:
Want to get fit enough to attend daughter’s wedding.
Need to get back to full duties at work otherwise I don’t get paid.
Want to get back to looking after my grandchildren.
Want to get back to playing bowls before the end of the season.
Make a Plan - S.M.A.R.T.E.R
Make a plan for how you are going to achieve the goal. The best way to do this is to make your goal S.M.A.R.T.E.R.
S – Specific: What am I going to do? (What, when, where, how)
Start by setting specific goals. For instance, if you need to increase your physical activity, saying you’ll “do more now and then” is vague. It’s hard to achieve a vague goal. But be sure the goal is also appropriate and realistic. For example, if you’re not physically active, saying you’ll walk two kilometres a day may be too much just yet. Instead, saying you’ll walk an extra five minutes a day gives you a specific aim, one that can be measured – so you know when you succeed – and one that is also realistic.
M – Measurable: How will I know when I have gotten there?
A – Achievable: Is this something I can do and in my control? What will I need?
R – Realistic: Am I being realistic? What are the likely problems?
T – Time bound: Can I do this in a reasonable time frame?
E – Enjoyable and evaluate: Is this something I want to do? What worked, what didn’t?
R – Record and reward: Writing it down and placing somewhere prominent helps keep us on track. Building in rewards also helps!
Be sure to reward yourself for the progress you’ve made. As you start a new goal, offer yourself a promise such as: “If I reach my goal this (day, week, month), I will treat myself to a well deserved… (think of something you want. It can be a CD, a movie, or a massage).