Hi, friends! Wow, I’m so happy to see sign ups come through for Resolve Group Coaching in January already. It’s great to see both those who I’ve worked with in the past and some new faces, too. It’s going to be such an amazing journey <3

Today’s topic is actually something we’ll spend some time on in the initial days of Resolve…Goal-Setting!

Goal-setting can be daunting.

To set a goal and change your behaviors, it takes a lot of hard work, energy, and time. And sometimes it can seem both overwhelming and intangible to truly reach that 3, 6, or 12 month goal you set for yourself- especially if that means changing some hard set behaviors that you’ve had for years.

Just for Today Goals

That’s why I sometimes I have my clients set “just-for-today goals.” It’s often looked down upon to make such short-term goals, but I find many clients actually have success with them. Granted, not all goals or behavior changes should be just-for-today, but for certain goals, it can make them seem much less overwhelming.

For example, I’m currently working with a client who has eaten a bowl of ice cream after dinner each night for years. There’s nothing inherently wrong with having dessert, but it isn’t very nutrient dense, and there are better options in order for her to reach her goal of losing body fat.

Now, when I suggested she switch to a bowl of fruit, I was met with some resistance. To my client, this seemed like a big huge change in her daily routine that she wasn’t sure if she could commit to or not. Actually, what happened was she would have a bowl of fruit, and then find herself at the freezer having ice cream, too.

So instead of making this seemingly life-altering change, I suggested for her to skip the bowl of ice cream – just for tonight. Lo and behold, she passed on the ice cream without any anxiety. Then the next day, I suggested to her to try and bypass the ice cream again today – “just for today.”

Why Just for Today Goals Work

It makes goal-setting seem less life-changing and like this phenomenon that people just talk about and don’t really do.

It’s a behavior change that doesn’t seem as impending and permanent as one big lifestyle change, but over time, it ends up becoming just that – a lifestyle change! It might take a little longer, but it also might be the only way it’ll happen. They also do one of my favorite things, and de-emphasize the illusion of perfection.

[Tweet “What behavior can you change just for today? Should you set a “just-for-today” goal? “]

3 Ways to Determine Your Just-For-Today Goal:

1. What area in your life do you want to improve? Could you break that change down any further? It’s likely a behavior change that would allow you to make much more progress toward your goal, but also one that you’re very resistant to change.

2.What is your biggest obstacle to achieving it? How would you remove that obstacle?

One popular behavior that I see a lot for this is dining out. This one is tough because it’s often not 100% up to you. However, try not dining out just for this week. Then next week, try the same thing. Perhaps you could suggest to cook for a friend who wants to grab dinner, or suggest a movie or a bike ride instead,

3. How would you remove it just for today – or just for the week?

I know my just-for-today goal is skipping the glass of wine with my dinner. I love wine – I always have, and likely always will. Tell me not to drink wine for a month? forever? I’m likely to laugh in your face. However, ask me to skip the wine  just for this week, and that I can handle.

[Tweet “Goal-Setting: Just-for-Today Goals via @TrainerPaige”]

What are you going to do, just for today? 

Just for today, I’m going to foam roll and do my stretching and mobility routine (another one that gets neglected too often!)