Personalized goal setting for health can sometimes be tricky.  We usually know what we want- to get rid of a symptom or to achieve improved vitality but sometimes have trouble taking that first step.  Setting our intentions for the new year and the new decade is no small task but we can make smaller smarter goals with the big picture in mind.  If the intention is better health than before, one of the first places to start of course is the food that we nourish our body with.  Since my intention this year is to eat more vegetables, to set my habit I will write down what veggies and fruits I am eating every day. My goal is to get in 7 servings of veggies and 1-2 fruits per day.  I am going to evaluate my progress the end of January. 

Setting your SMART goals.  SMART goals is an acronym that comes from business management literature and since you are the CEO of your body we are going to use it for our health oriented goals. 

When setting you intention, you want to be very SPECIFIC. “I am going to eat more veggies” is different than “I am going to eat 7 servings of veggies per day”.  This is important because we want to be able to MEASURE our success and feel and internalize that success.  That will propel the habit forward instead of it just being a forgotten New Year’s Resolution.

When setting your goals, I would also recommend it be a reach but not impossible.  You should feel confident you will be able to reach your goal.  If going for a walk every day for example is a stretch, it is better to set a goal of going for a walk three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Your goal should be ACHIEVABLE.

Another key is making the intention RELEVANT or important to you or your big picture goals.  If you are setting an intention because you think you should or because it is important to your spouse, it is less likely to happen.