Phase 1: Planning Your Shift
What is the issue?
Goal setting is truly important for almost anything we want to do in our lives. But misaligned goals can lead you astray, moving you farther from where you’re going. This is why we have first explored how our minds work, our personal values and then visualized the 10/10 Life. Only now are we ready to actually create an aligned goal.
We often fall into the trap of setting narrow, number-focused goals. "I want to lose 20 pounds" or "I want to fit into my old jeans" might seem straightforward, but these goals often fall short of creating lasting change. They don't tap into what truly motivates us or connect to our broader life aspirations. As a result, even if we achieve these goals, we might find ourselves unsatisfied or quickly reverting to old habits.
"Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. There is nothing more generous than clarity in goals and expectations."
Brené Brown
What do you think?
Reflect on your wellness wheel from the previous lesson. Where do you see the biggest gaps between your current state and your 10/10 Life? How might addressing these gaps lead to meaningful changes in your life, beyond just weight loss?
Consider your core values and your vision of your 10/10 Life. What kind of broad, aspirational goals might align with these? Don't worry about being too specific at this point – we're thinking big picture here.
Jot down some initial thoughts in your Captain's Log. What would goals look like if they were truly meaningful to you, reflecting your values and your vision for your best life?
What else would be good to know?
Setting meaningful goals in The Shift is about creating a broad, aspirational vision for your:
Metabolism: How you change food to fuel or what goes out.
Appetite: Your eating experiences or what goes in.
Perspective: The stories we tell ourselves about all of it, or how you see it all.
This is your MAP to the 10/10 Life.
These goals serve as a bridge between your current state and your ideal self, guiding your overall direction rather than prescribing specific actions.
As you work through the activities and set your goals, we will consider these questions:
How does this goal connect to my Core Values?
In what way does this goal move me closer to my 10/10 Life and my Life Weight?
Does this goal address a significant gap I identified in my wellness wheel?
How will I feel as I work towards this goal? After I achieve it?
Is this goal stretching me beyond my comfort zone while still feeling ultimately achievable?
Remember, these goals are personal to you. They should feel meaningful and motivating, pulling you towards the life you truly want to live.
Meaningful goals in this context have several key characteristics:
They align with your core values:
Your goals should resonate with what's truly important to you, not what you think you "should" do.
They address gaps identified in your wellness wheel: Focus on areas where you see the biggest difference between your current state and your 10/10 Life.
They're broad and aspirational:
These goals paint a picture of where you're heading, without getting bogged down in the specifics of how you'll get there.
They balance stretch and realism:
Your goals should push you beyond your comfort zone while remaining within the realm of possibility. The key is to find that sweet spot where the discomfort of growth feels challenging yet manageable – even invigorating.
For example, instead of "lose 20 pounds," a more meaningful goal might be "Cultivate a lifestyle that supports vibrant health and allows me to fully engage in activities I love." This goal connects to values (health, enjoyment), addresses potential gaps in the wellness wheel, and provides direction without being overly prescriptive.
Remember, these goals should excite you and pull you forward, providing a framework for the more specific objectives and tactics we'll develop later.
The key elements of a goal are:
Clear Vision: Shares a clear and vivid picture of what it looks like to meet the goal.
Inspiration and Motivation: Captures what inspires or motivates you about this goal.
Impact and Importance: Explains why this goal is important and what impact achieving it will have on on your life.
Broad and General Scope: Stays broad, avoiding specific steps or numbers or activities.
A goal statement:
Starts with an action verb: This makes the goal more dynamic and engaging.
Describes the desired outcome: This should be vivid and specific enough to create a mental picture.
Includes the 'Why': Explain the significance of the goal and how it connects to the individual's broader aspirations.
Template for building goal statements in two parts:
A MAP goal statement can be built in two parts:
[Action Verb with Vision of 10/10 Life] + [Connection to Values/Why it’s Important]
Action Verb + Vision of 10/10 Life:
"Achieve a state of..."
"Develop a sense of..."
"Create and maintain..."
Connection to Values/Why it’s Important:
"so that I can..."
"to foster a sense of..."
"enabling me to..."
An example MAP goal statement using the template:
Metabolism Goal (What Goes Out):
Focuses on how your body uses energy
Example: "Build a strong and resilient body that allows me to remain active and independent through my golden years, enabling me to fully participate in my grandchildren's lives."
Appetite Goal (What Goes In):
Focuses on eating patterns and food relationships
Examples: "Develop an even, regulated appetite where I easily read and respond to hunger signals, allowing me to nourish myself consistently and joyfully."
Perspective Goal (How You See It):
Focuses on mindset and approach
Examples: "Create a balanced relationship with my body where I respond to setbacks with self-compassion, enabling me to maintain steady progress toward my health goals."
Key Principles for MAP Goals:
Focus on what you gain, not what you give up
Connect directly to your core values
Describe your desired future state
Remain broad enough to allow different tactics
Feel slightly uncomfortable but possible
More example goal statements:
Metabolic: "Build a strong and resilient body that allows me to hike with my grandchildren well into my 80s, honoring my value of active family connection"
Metabolic: "Develop sustainable energy levels that fuel my work as a community leader, enabling me to serve others with vitality and presence"
Metabolic: "Create a robust metabolism that powers me through long work days, supporting my commitment to excellence in my profession"
Appetite: "Cultivate a peaceful relationship with food where hunger and fullness guide my choices, freeing mental energy for creative projects and meaningful relationships"
Appetite: "Establish consistent eating patterns that nourish my body and mind, allowing me to model balanced self-care for my children"
Appetite: "Master appetite awareness so I can trust my body's signals, enabling me to participate fully in social events without stress"
Perspective: "Generate a mindset of growth and possibility around health changes, supporting my value of lifelong learning and resilience"
Perspective: "Transform my inner dialogue to one of curiosity and acceptance, enabling me to lead my team from a place of authentic confidence"
Perspective: "Develop emotional regulation skills that help me navigate setbacks with grace, honoring my commitment to teaching others through example"
How do I apply this right now? How do I explore this more?
Let's put these concepts into practice with some exercises to help you craft meaningful, motivating goals.
You may stop reading the lesson and do these activities now or wait until the end of the lesson to do the activities in sequence.
Once you complete this lesson, the activities will appear on their own pages so you can find them and repeat them anytime.
Activity 1:
Choosing Your Meaningful Goals
This exercise will guide you through the process of creating goals that are aligned with your values and 10/10 Life vision, while addressing the gaps identified in your wellness wheel.
Activity 2:
Check Your Goals: Five Whys
Once you've crafted your goals, it's important to ensure that they really create an urge to act in your mind, body and soul right now. These should feel exciting. Urgent, almost. These goals should feel as though it is just a matter of time before you achieve them. This activity will help you fine-tune your goals and set yourself up for success.
How do I bring it all together?
Now that you've created and reality-tested your goals, take some time to reflect on how they fit into your overall journey. Ask yourself:
1. How do these goals work together to support my vision of my 10/10 Self?
2. In what ways do these goals address different aspects of my life and well-being?
3. How might progress towards these goals positively impact my weight loss journey?
4. How do these goals align with the direction I want to take in The Shift?
Remember, your goals are like the destination on your sailing journey. They give you a direction to steer towards, even if the exact route may change along the way. In future lessons, we'll break these broad goals down into more specific objectives and tactics – the individual steps and maneuvers that will move you towards your destination.
How will I know if this is making a difference? How do I start noticing the changes?
As you begin orienting yourself towards these newly defined goals, you might notice some changes:
Increased motivation: You may find yourself more excited about your overall journey, not just focused on weight loss.
Sense of alignment: Your aspirations may feel more in tune with your values and overall life vision.
Holistic perspective: You might start seeing connections between different areas of your life, rather than viewing weight loss in isolation.
Comfort with discomfort: You may find yourself more willing to embrace challenges, knowing they're in service of meaningful goals.
Keep track of these changes in your Captain's Log. Regularly revisiting your goals and reflecting on your progress can help reinforce your commitment and celebrate your growth.
What is next?
In our next lesson, we'll dive into selecting personalized tactics – the specific actions and strategies you'll use to move towards your goals. These tactics will form the day-to-day steps of your journey, bringing your meaningful goals to life.
Your goals are the destination guiding your sailing journey. They give you direction and purpose, helping you navigate towards your 10/10 Life even when the waters get rough. Embrace the balance of stretch and realism in your goals – let them pull you forward into growth while remaining grounded in what's ultimately achievable.