So last week we talked about the importance of goal setting. And guess what? This week we are going to continue the conversation. It is really that important.
Like I mentioned there are what I like to consider five key steps to goal setting to ensure your success.
Sooooo … last week we hammered the importance of step 1 – defining super duper CLEAR goals. We talked at length about how to clearly define your nutrition goals. How could you forget right? Remember I asked you to tattoo the acronym S.M.A.R.T on your wrist? Kidding! But just in case you need a refresher you can catch up here. But no worries – no tattooing this week, I promise.
Establish a realistic game plan
This week we are going to chat about the importance of coming up with a clear, realistic and effective game plan for your nutrition goals. This game plan will represent the exact steps you need to do to tackle your goals.
It is here, in this step, that we take the S.M.A.R.T goals we have defined and add an actionable component. Without this very important piece you will be likely left spinning your wheels.
So let’s use the goal of meal prepping. We came up with this S.M.A.R.T goal last week:
I will meal prep 1.5 hours every Sunday and Wednesday for the next month.
We made sure our goal was specific, that it was measurable, attainable, realistic and was time-sensitive. So this plan sounds great in theory, right? It looks good on paper, but how can we make sure we accomplish it?
Break your goal into bite size pieces
Well, we need to break down the goal into smaller steps. We need to identify EACH step that needs to be completed in order for us to be successful. Then we need to come up with a game plan surrounding these actions.
Sweat the small things – the details matter
With a goal like meal prepping here are some of the questions you may need to ask yourself to ‘flesh’ out the mandatory steps to ensure your success.
Exactly what am I going to eat for the week? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinners? Snacks?
What specific food do I already have on hand that I should use up?
Exactly when and where am I going to grocery shop?
You have to get very specific. For each question there should be a very finite answer. No matter how clear your goal is – unless you outline the necessary steps there is just too much room for error.
It’s go-time
So the game plan might look like this:
I would highly suggest putting all of this in writing. Write out your menu. Print or electronically save your recipes. I have a board in Pinterest called ‘dinners’ (yes, super creative!) that you are more than welcome to follow for inspiration. I also have a board called ‘Meal Prep’ that you might find equally as helpful. Write in your schedule exactly when you will go grocery shopping.
The more specific you get with your actions the increased likelihood of you connecting with your goals. Creating clear concrete goals is important. But coming up with game plan is equally as important.
Need help creating a game plan for your nutrition goals? The dietitians at The Plano Program are here to help. Click here to schedule your 60 minute initial consultation.
Hugs & High Fives,
P.S. Got tips for meal prepping? Leave them in the comments below. After all, who does not love a good meal prep hack?