How to Keep Yourself Accountable to Your Health Goals

As a registered dietitian at Revive Wellness, many of my clients come to see in part, or in full, for the accountability I can provide them. Working on health and changing behaviour is hard work and having another person to report back to can be a very helpful strategy to keep the momentum going.

 

However, this is not the only way to keep yourself accountable. Read on for some strategies to help you reach your goals and stay on the right path to success.

 

• Set goals and reflect on them daily. Write down your goals and each day either make a check mark or an ‘X’ for if your behaviours supported this goal or not. It isn’t necessarily a fun thing to see a full line of ‘X’s, thus motivates us to achieve that check mark. It’s ok if you are seeing lots of ‘X’s – it just might be a sign that this may not the right goal for you at this time. Re-assess and set a more attainable goal. Keeping our goals front and center by reflecting on them daily is in and of itself a huge component in achieving success. If you are a My Viva Plan member, committing to doing your daily reflections will allow you to reflect on your goals daily.
• Keep reminders around your home. A common example of this is a sticky note. For example, if your goal is to practice meditation before you go to bed, put a sticky note on your night stand as a reminder. Another option is to use your smartphone for alarms or reminders.
• Use a calendar/agenda. The simple task of planning can go a long way. I like to use this one for meal planning. Choose a 30 minute time that re-occurs each week and schedule it into your calendar – if it is in the calendar, it is booked and needs to happen.
• Find social supports. If you have a friend or family member that has similar goals to you, consider setting goals collaboratively to keep each other accountable. A good example for this is getting a workout partner.
• Consider investing in a professional such as a registered dietitian, a therapist, or a personal trainer. A trained professional can be very helpful at keeping motivation high, being a source of accountability, and to help troubleshoot your barriers to success. My Viva Plan members can talk to one of these clinicians right within the program!

 

By Katrina DuBois, Registered Dietitian

Revive Wellness Inc.