“If you want to achieve your goals, don’t focus on them”.
That’s the name of a TEDTalk that caught the attention of our team recently.
The advice seems to go against everything you hear this time of year with goals and resolutions.
But when we thought about it, it actually matches up nicely with the advice we regularly give our patients. And we think it’s good advice.
Goals (like do 10 30sec planks, bird dog and bridge exercises every morning and night) are the compass to help you navigate. What often gets lost in the conversation is the context (to rehab your core and be more resilient in the activities that you do).
We’re not giving up on goal setting. Without it you can’t develop a plan that works or build a process that you fall in love with.
But what if you can only manage a 5sec plank or can only get three done? What about that time you have to meet a deadline that your job depends on, or the kids are oh-so-late for school…?
Self management of your physical health and building sustainable resilience are the context. They are the big picture. Your journey. Goals are merely your signposts along the way. Focus on the journey and use your goals for course correction now and then.
