Hi and welcome to this week's 50 & Beyond Health & Wellbeing blog. Each week I will provide you with knowledge, tips, advice and recommendations to inspire you to sustain good metabolic health specific to being over 50. Chris Deavin, myHealthCoach
We all want to have better lives. To achieve more. To be a better version of ourselves.
It might be getting in better shape, being successful at business, or being a better partner or parent.
The most common way we go about achieving these things is by setting goals. Actions that will get us moving forward to what we want.
As a health coach, that is what I have been doing over the last 20 years. helping my clients reach their goals. Goals for weight loss. Goals to become stronger and fitter. Even goals that will make my clients attractive again to their partners.
But over the last couple of decades, I have realised that no matter the goals people set for themselves, it’s not the reason they either achieve or don’t achieve them.
People believe that by just setting a goal and having a desire to achieve it, they will achieve it.
I don’t need to tell you that, in most cases, that doesn’t work. How many times have you set yourself a goal and then not achieved it? Plenty I am sure.
What I have found to work far more effectively than goals is systems. The habits, behaviours and routines you put in place to make sure you perform the actions needed to achieve what you want.
I am not saying you shouldn’t set goals, far from it. Setting goals helps you know which direction you need to put your effort and time towards. But it is the consistent performance of the proper habits, behaviours and routines that will get you there.
Setting goals will get you started. Systems will get you to the end.
So, what is the difference between goals and systems?
If you are a sports coach, your goal is for your athlete(s) to win. Your system is what training you get your athlete(s) to do.
If you are a writer, your goal is to produce content people want to read. Your system is a schedule that gets you to write so many words a week.
If you are a runner, your goal is to win races. Your system is what training you need to do to get faster.
What is really interesting is if you ignored your goals and focused only on your systems.
Would you still achieve what you want?
Yes and no. As I wrote earlier, having a goal will help you get started in the right direction. Where systems are what is needed to perform the proper actions consistently.
But after setting your goal. Focus more on what it will take to achieve them instead of dreaming about what it will be and feel like to achieve them. Get down and do the work.
Here are three strong reasons why you should focus more on systems than goals;
1. Goals Can Reduce Your Happiness
When setting goals, you focus on what you currently don’t have. You are telling yourself that you are not good enough and you will only be happy when you have achieved your goal.
Solution: Commit to a process, not a goal.
2. Goals Can Kill Long-Term Success
Sounds weird, but how many times have you set out to achieve a goal, achieved it, and then stopped doing what you did to achieve it?
I always ask my clients how long they want to achieve their goal for.
Is it only up to the point when they have achieved it, or do they want the success to be long-term?
Solution: See beyond the need for immediate results.
3. Goals Make You Think You Are In Control
Just because you want to achieve something, doesn’t mean the rest of the world cares or will help you achieve it. Actually, the world is more likely to block and hinder you from achieving success.
Not that it is the intention of the world to do so. Just that the rest of the world has other goals it is focusing on.
Just because you set a goal, doesn’t mean everyone else will pull in the same direction. Having systems in place will help you stay on track and focused, no matter what the world throws at you.
Solution: Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t.
So, go ahead and set yourself goals. Know the direction you want to go in. But then focus on how you are going to get there.
What actions, habits, behaviours and routines will you need to follow consistently to achieve what you want? And, more importantly, how you can maintain success after your goal has been achieved.
Are you struggling to stay consistent and reach your health goals? Here are a couple of ways I can help;
12-Week Health Plans to get you started and moving towards your health goals with daily coaching lessons, nutrition plans, exercise plans, and stress/recovery plans. In 12 weeks, I will coach you on what it will take to achieve optimal health over the age of 50 and how you can sustain the results for years to come. Email me via myhealthcoachuk@gmail.com for more information.
Free Health Review. Take my comprehensive health review and find out how healthy, fit and strong you are currently and what simple measures you can take today to improve all health metrics. I will provide a detailed and personalised health report covering your current nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress. Know what you are doing today so that you can change tomorrow.
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Check out my social media channels for daily health advice, workouts and tips.
To learn more about improving your health and what I provide as a health coach, feel free to email me any questions via myhealthcoachuk@gmail.com. Happy to help in any way I can.
Chris, myHealthCoach
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