Be SMART .
A new year, a new page, a new slate a new start! Whenever we get to this stage and the times comes for me to sit down and write my goals I have to take a deep breath. My husband introduced me to goal setting. He is a pro at it. I think he cheats. He works and worries at his goals all year round and then come January they are all polished and shiny and ready to go. Well, ok, maybe that is not cheating and it is the way it should be done!
Then in 2022 I did a course on rehabilitation and exercises for people suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis in the hands. And suddenly the two worlds of my finance expert husband and physiotherapist self collided. Here was goal setting that I had been doing for years with people of all ages and abilities. I was the pro for once. It is the same but different.
Goal setting for Physiotherapy.
Following injury or trauma there is often pain, loss of function and loss of strength. Physiotherapy looks at how to restore your ability to carry out the activities of daily living relevant to you to the best possible level and as pain free as possible. Ideally full function pain free, but no one is perfect!
Goal setting is an integral part of that outcome, and is something that you and your Physio should do together. Often it is a big goal (I want to get back on my bicycle) but has smaller goals along the way to get to it (I want to be bend my knee!).
The SMART goal setting system breaks the goals down into chunks that make you mindful of how and when you are going to achieve these goals, and research shows that the act of writing them down and internalizing them makes them more likely to be achievable.
2 examples of SMART physical goal setting.
One
Specific I want to be able to climb 3 flights of stairs so I can go and visit my family who live on the third floor.
Measurable Right now I get tired going up three steps. I have a flight of stairs at work. I will begin the first week going up the stairs in the morning and then using the lift for down every day.
The following week I will try to go up and down the stairs once every day. .
The following week I will go up the stairs twice and down once.
I will continue increasing like this.
Attainable I have no major issues with my general mobility so this is just fitness and strength.
Relevant My family have no lift so if I want to visit I have to be able to climb the stairs.
Time bound I would like to visit in the summer, so I have 3 months to do this.
Two
Specific I broke my right wrist 8 weeks ago and want to be able to clean my teeth again!
Measurable I currently cannot turn my hand to put my toothbrush in my mouth, but with exercises I should be able to regain function.
Attainable I could do it before, and the break is healed.
Relevant I need to use my right hand, it feels awkward cleaning my teeth with my left hand.
Time bound I am going to set myself a goal of a month.
So they don’t have to be earth shattering, amazing goals. They just have to be relevant to you and your current situation and be able to take you to the next thing you want to do. Try it!