I enjoyed wearing something other than my favorite grey house coat today…. even though I was back in said house coat immediately after taking this picture. Good times.

Are we all familiar with S.M.A.R.T.(E.R.) goal structures yet? 

Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely,(evaluated, reviewed...)

 

Whether or not you knew it had a name, this process is one of many 'reverse-engineering' processes used to increase the overall success rate of a goal and is widely accepted as the go-to process taught throughout primary school and corporate-America. (Which, as most of us have figured out by now, are one in the same.) 

I'm sure your workplaces force you into some version of this goal-process to hit your monthly objectives. 

 

However, did you know the process you use to complete a project, make more money, or hit a metric at work needs to look completely different from the process you use to eat better, move regularly, and even manage your stress?

 

This is the difference between extrinsic goals (the former) and intrinsic goals (the latter.)

 

 

Out the gate, please keep in mind that weight loss does not apply as a behavior-goal because weight is not a behavior, but an outcome. And that outcome is not nearly as controllable as we’re lead to believe, meaning that when pursued using any process or system, there’s a 95% chance it’ll fail- with the lost weight plus some usually gained back within 3-5 years due to the resting metabolic rate (RMR) decreasing. (1)

But today isn’t about ranting over widespread misconceptions about weight and health- but we’ll be diving into a variety of education-specific pieces come May! 

 

However, my point in saying this is extrinsic goal structures, which are most often applied to weight goals, fail miserably simply because focusing on things you can control rather than things you can’t, like your weight, lead to failure 95% of the time. 

 

When focusing on healthy behaviors instead of weight- such as maintaining a variety of foods, eating consistently, staying hydrated, moving your body, managing stress, being socially active, and so on- you set yourself up for success that LASTS, building consistency with general self care that is adapted to your life and priorities as they change over time. 

 

Every single person that’s done this work with me has experienced the same thing by the end of our time together:

•They’re willingly and happily sticking to the very healthy behaviors they used to fight themselves on. (where eating healthy used to feel like a chore, they now experience ease.)

•They’re thinking about ‘being healthy’ less- but are the healthiest they’ve ever been. (Muscle mass increasing, blood and lipid panels are improved, pre- and diabetic indicators decreasing, food-focus and anxiety of choices is diminishing, daily energy fluctuations are much less severe, mood improvements, diminishing brain fog/increased focus and clarity, etc.)

•They aren’t failing once going out on their own! They no longer need the ‘accountability’ of a coach because they know how to troubleshoot the majority of their behavioral obstacles, only seeking me for clarification if they have a food- or exercise-factoid to ask about. (I'm a one-and-done kind of bitch.) 😏 

 

 

 

 

Those who experience success do so because they not only have clear and valid intentions set to begin with (which we decipher together) but they’re using the processes appropriate for the TYPE of goal they’re setting!

And you're likely already doing this naturally in some areas of life, while struggling in others. But more on that later….

 

 

If you’re used to saying things like, “I know WHAT to do, I just need to do it…”  then listen up! Because when you “Just Do It” you will soon find out that you’re only adhering for the short term, not changing for the long haul. 

 

People unintentionally and unknowingly undermine their own self-worth and esteem each time they start claiming they’re embarking on a lifestyle change when they aren’t utilizing any behavior change methods to do so. 

 

Failure is inevitable in this regard, but rather than blaming the faulty approach, they default to blaming themselves- lack of motivation, being lazy, or all of a sudden claiming that being a healthy person just isn’t ‘for them.’

 

This is made to be significantly worse when doing so publicly- whether it be in a group setting  at your training studio, by starting a fitspo account on social media to document the process, or stating it to a friend for ‘accountability.’ 

 

These forms of ‘accountability’ actually undermine the process with unforeseen shame and guilt when mistakes happen. This is why I will often… *cough* always… advise my clients to keep their self-care journey a private one, off of social media and without the incompetent and uninformed accountability of people in their life lacking the skills or knowledge to hold them accountable in a responsible and helpful way. 

 

(At least until their relationship to self and health improves drastically/they no longer feel the need to express their personal expectations for external validation.) 

 

 

 

 

For behavior change, or forming habits, we aren’t aiming to ‘achieve’ and we aren’t using deadlines. We’re aiming to build behaviors that can be sustained and maintained over time, allowing for long term consistency that doesn't become undermined by the ‘ok what’s next’ mentality commonly found with extrinsic goals.

 

 

Remember from last email, we are committed to 3 of many aspects of behavior change when it comes to healthy behaviors: appropriate intent (last email), an equally-paired approach (this email), and building both of those into each of the 6 steps of behavior change (next email.) 

 

THIS email, I'm going to drop some knowledge to help you identify the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic goals, primarily focusing on the limitations of extrinsic goals on behavior change as we’ll be discussing the intrinsic approaches that foster long-term behavior change in the next email! 

 

Then I’ll have a reflection exercise for you to see if you’re pairing your current goals to their most-complementary approach.

 

So what’s an extrinsic goal and what's an intrinsic goal? 

 

 

As you can tell, there are a lot of intrinsic factors (behavior-focuses) to extrinsic goals (deadline-focuses.) 

 

 

1. Up until now, have you been approaching both intrinsic and extrinsic goals as if they were one in the same?

2. What goals do you have right now? (even if not actively working towards them currently)

3. How would you normally approach accomplishing that goal?How does that differ from what we’ve discussed here today? 

 

 

If you’ve been approaching them in some variation of the above, then that’s the ‘just do it’ mentality we were discussing- the idea that you know WHAT to do, but need to just do it. It’s not that simple! (Though I wish it were.) 

 

But adjusting doesn’t need to be this overly-complex process either- you just need a reframe and some new skills to assist you in succeeding! 

 

 

So last reflections: 

1. What’s an area of life you feel you succeed in or simply have an easier time with? This may be something you label as ‘comes naturally’ and could be a repetitive thing like maintaining relationships, or a one-off experience like hosting an event at work. 

2. Now analyze that ease or experience- what type of motivation do you think it is? (extrinsic or intrinsic?)

3.  And what types of processes did you use or what action did you take to get there? (extrinsic or intrinsic?) 

 

 

Behavior change principles are transferable skills that can assist you all over the damn place- in your romantic relationships, in parenting, in the work place, …..training your dog. Once you can identify the TYPE of goal, you’ll be able to pair it to the best approach. 

 

This is why I teach my clients behavior change theory from front to back- so no matter the goal- self care, career, relationships, etc- they can navigate it confidently knowing they aren’t wasting time on just anything or just doing ‘it’- they’re starting with their best foot forward.

 

Once you learn the principles, you save yourself a lot of time, energy, and effort because you are no longer drowning in good or bad advice which allows you to redirect that energy and focus capacity to problem solving through good solutions that are already set up for success. 

 

 

Next week we’ll discuss the 6-steps of behavior change- the process that fits best with your intrinsic goals focused on behavior change- whether it’s exercise, nutrition, stress management, relationships, sleep, and all other self-care related outcomes! 

 

If you want more information on the benefits of goal setting on your overall happiness, the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, or even how the culture in the United States undermines indicators for happiness when setting your goals… a little politicized content if you will… then def check out the Party Favor section saved at the bottom of this email on your way out. 

 

•If coaching is a good fit, we'll get you started. 

•If not, we'll get you turned around in the RIGHT direction!