The Power of Goals in Paediatric Prescription

Goals - one of my favourite topics. It’s no secret that I love to set goals, almost to my detriment. It is one of my things. If you aren't familiar with my planning retreat every quarter follow me on insta and check it out @lizzydawson_ . So naturally I am excited to delve into the significance of setting goals and how we can ensure we achieve them. Whether it's a fitness milestone, a health target, or a personal development aim, having clear goals in mind puts us on a path to success.

The Power of Knowing Your Goals

When it comes to accomplishing anything in life, knowing what we're striving for is the first step towards achieving it. Our journey becomes more structured and focused when we have a clear destination in mind. This principle holds true not only in our day-to-day lives but also in the world of paediatric exercise. It is so much more fulfilling when we have a clear direction with our clients, it means at any given moment we can see if we are on the right path, the progress we have made with our clients and be able to communicate this back to them. 

Keep them smart! 

We don't want just any goals we want SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These goals become roadmaps to success, providing clarity, focus, and motivation every step of the way. They guide us to define precisely what we want, measure our progress, maintain motivation, and set deadlines for our aspirations. Whether it's conquering a new skill, advancing a career, setting goals for our clients or embracing a healthier lifestyle, SMART goals are the compass that keeps us on track. So, dream big, plan SMART, and watch how much progress you start to make.  

Have = Be + Do

I learnt this in a business course many years ago. It is all about looking at what you want to achieve and then breaking it down into what do I have to do to achieve it and then Who do I have to be to do those thing! I do this with every goal. I write and schedule all the tasks involved in achieving a particular goal. Then I think about who I need to be; do I need to be healthy, courageous and planned? And I do what I need to do to BE that person. 

Managing Goals and Involving Parents

Managing parents' involvement, especially when working with young children or individuals with disabilities can be difficult. The key lies in setting clear expectations and communicating those expectations. Parents play a vital role in ensuring consistency, a crucial element in building neural pathways in the brain. Repetition is how we lay down and strengthen the neural framework, and when neural pathways are robust, learning becomes more effective. Communicating these expectations and benefits to parents is essential. It’s also about making the exercise’s fit their day to day life.  Even if they can only manage to incorporate one exercise, it's all about repetition and enjoyment because if they enjoy it then they will repeat it. Again knowing the goal will lend to the capacity to develop strategies to get it in. It might be doing it sandwiched with something fun or perhaps as a part of their favourite game. 

Celebrate 

Most importantly acknowledge goals being achieved or even progress! With clients this is something the whole allied health team should know about and celebrate. When a goal is met, celebrate and communicate it with allied health teams, education teams and parents. The more positive reinforcement the better!

So my challenge for you this week  is to do the following 

1. Create one SMART goal before the end of the year, 

2. Keep it simple and small 

3. Follow the Have = Be + do formular 

4. Share it on social and tag me!