Part 1: Goal Setting Basics
GOAL SETTING: Why Promises to Ourselves Are Harder to Keep
When was the last time you promised something to a friend or family member and didn’t follow through? Now think—when was the last time you made a promise to yourself and actually kept it?
Why is it so much harder to keep promises to ourselves? For many of us, it’s because we put other people’s needs first and push our own health and well-being to the side.
One of the best ways to change this is through goal setting. Setting a clear, realistic goal gives you something solid to hold onto—something important enough that you’re willing to protect time for it.
A Personal Story
Last year I set a big, life-changing goal: wake up at 5:00 a.m., work out, and walk the dog before the rest of the house stirred. The problem? I was a 6:30 a.m. riser. That’s a huge leap.
I didn’t pretend it would happen in one step. I started small—just 15 minutes earlier, for a rushed walk. I didn’t love the rushing, so I nudged the clock to 6:00 a.m. Then I found a 90-day HIIT challenge. The workouts were short (about 20 minutes), and that gave me confidence to shift to 5:45 a.m.
I stalled there for almost two months—especially after a time change had me grumbling, “This is really 4:45… what are you doing?” But slowly, step by step, I worked my way back. 5:35… then 5:15… and finally, after four months, 5:00 a.m.
Am I perfect? Not at all. Some mornings, sleep is the healthier choice—and I give myself permission for that. What matters is consistency, not perfection.
Flexible Goal Examples
Your goals don’t have to be about mornings. Here are three kinds anyone can try:
Physical health: Take a 10-minute walk three days a week.
Mental health: Put your phone away 30 minutes before bed.
Lifestyle: Cook one homemade meal each week.
Each of these can be shaped into a S.M.A.R.T. goal:
Specific – clear and concrete.
Measurable – trackable with a log or calendar.
Achievable – realistic for where you are today.
Relevant – meaningful to you.
Time-bound – a start date and a check-in date.
Where GGF Fits
Here’s the powerful part: with GoGet.Fit, these goals don’t just sit in your head. You can schedule them, log them, and get recognition from your care team or teacher. Every scheduled walk, every logged stretch, every bedtime routine entered—it all counts. And when you get that little nudge of celebration, it builds something important: scheduling self-efficacy—the confidence that you can plan your health and follow through.
Your Turn
Pick one small goal. Write it down. Schedule it. Log it. And celebrate it. Because progress—step by step, day by day—changes everything.
It’s not about perfection, it’s about progression!