How to Set Mental Health Goals for Personal Growth
Growth is a natural and ever evolving process. We are continually growing because we are consistently witnessing change around us.
However, whether we are growing in a healthy or harmful way depends on how we adapt to the changes that occur in our lives - whether we have control over these changes or not. Here’s how to find opportunities for self-improvement in everyday life so you can start growing forward towards the life you want.
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
This quote from John C. Maxwell - a favourite of ours - best reflects the premise and power of personal growth. Personal growth - which has also been called personal development, self-improvement, and self-growth - is a term which refers to various approaches and methods for improving one’s habits, behaviour, actions and reactions. In other words, personal growth is the effort you put into yourself, to be the “best version of you” that you can be.
Examples of personal growth can include:
SMALLER GOALS
Build a morning routine
Get up earlier
Keep a daily journal
Practice a daily ritual
Explore something new every day
Develop one good habit every month
Leave one bad habit every month
Spend less time online
Spend more time outside
BIGGER GOALS
Learning to control anger
Learning to overcome procrastination
Learning to prioritize your mental health
Learning to be more polite and considerate
Becoming a more responsible person
Learning new things and developing new skills
Changing your mindset and becoming more positive
Can you ‘learn’ personal growth?
Personal growth is an ongoing process that starts from an early age, but mostly shaped by parents, teachers, and the environment. As we get older, successful personal growth requires motivation, a desire to improve, and taking action towards making a change (whether that change is a big one or a small one).
What’s your motivation?
Sometimes, problems and difficulties are the triggers that awaken the desire to grow, and lead us to making changes in our life. For example: you could lose your job and be motivated to learn a new skill for a position you really want. Or, you could have been diagnosed with diabetes and are motivated to change your eating habits for your continued health and well-being.
At other times, we are inspired to take steps toward personal growth after reading an inspiring book, watching a movie, reading about people who have achieved success, or knowing people close to us who have made substantial change in their lives.
Whatever your motivation to make a change, it’s important to reflect on and understand the motive behind your goals. if you want this experience to be authentic and sustainable, this is about personal improvement, not about being something or someone else for somebody else.
What are your goals?
How many times have you made a new year's "resolution" or specific goals and then realize a year later that those same "resolutions" or goals are back on your list?
Do those goals sound like this?
" I want to be healthier."
" I wish I had more time to myself. "
" I want this to be my year. "
These sound great and you should definitely strive for the things you want... but, there's no clear way of getting there and you most likely won't achieve these goals. Why?
These are aspirations. Aspirations are something you want or wish you had. Goals, on the other hand, are specific, measurable and require action.
There's definitely a similarity, but the difference is in the effort you put forth. You can aspire to be healthy all you want (for example), but it only becomes a goal once you put in the effort into achieving it.
How to set SMART goals
SMART is an acronym for:
S - specific
M - measurable
A - achievable or attainable
R - relevant or realistic
T - timely
S
Your first step is to make sure your goal is clear, understandable, and SPECIFIC.
For example: " I want to be healthier" is too vague. Think of the what, why, where, what and how.
Here are some questions you may want to answer:
What do I want to accomplish?
What is involved in accomplishing it?
Why is this goal important?
What does XYZ (in this case be healthier) mean?
M
Your second step is to make sure your goal MEASURABLE, so you are able to track your progress.
This will help you maintain your motivation as you work towards your goal.
Some questions to think about this step are:
How much?
How many?
How often?
How will I know when it is accomplished?
A
The third step is to make sure your goal ACHIEVABLE, so you are realistic about what you can accomplish but are still challenging yourself.
Some questions to think about:
How can I accomplish this goal?
What are some potential barriers?
Who can help me achieve this goal?
At this point you may need to break down you goal into mini-goals, short-term and long-term goals. That’s okay. It’s better to be honest with yourself then setting yourself up for failure. For example: If you are not currently working out at all, going from 0 days a week to 5 days a week may not be realistic.
R
Next, you want to ensure that your goal is RELEVANT and actually important to you. (This goes back to your motivation).
Some questions to consider:
Is this the right time?
Am I the right person to achieve this goal?
Does this match my other efforts / goals?
If you doubt your ability or ‘want’ to accomplish your goals, you may not have the ‘capacity’ right now to move forward. For example: You are starting a new job and know that your position will require learning a lot of new skills and taking on this goal may be too difficult to handle at the same time. This does not mean that you give up on your goal — you may have to adjust your expectations or timeline — but it’s definitely something to consider before moving on to the next step.
T
Finally, you want to make sure that your goal is TIMELY. This means that it is time-bound.
If your goal isn’t given a deadline, then you may feel like there is never an end in sight. Giving yourself a deadline will help you prioritize your goals, especially if you have more than one in different areas of your life.
Some questions to consider:
When do you want to meet your goal?
Where do you want to be 6 months from now? 1 year from now?
What daily tasks can support my larger goals?
This is where short-term and long-term goals come into play. Short-term goals generally take less than a year to accomplish and are easier to achieve than long-term goals. And, are a great way to take bite-sized chunks out of a long-term goal.
Example of a SMART GOAL:
Let’s go back to the initial goal of " I want to be healthier" , which we know is too vague.
Instead, a SMART GOAL would sound more like this:
My goal is to lose 30 pounds by July 1st. This goal is important to me because I want to be healthier so I can be here for my kids and live a longer, happier life. I am tired of feeling uncomfortable in my body and not having any energy to do the things I want and need to do. My doctor has also indicated that I am at risk for developing diabetes if I do not take action. I need to replace my ‘bad habits’ with small but meaningful changes that I know I can accomplish and integrate into my daily routine.
These are my initial mini (daily) goals:
cutting back sugar by not adding it to my daily coffees
eating breakfast
taking a 15 minute walk every lunch break at work
drink a glass of water with every meal
no food after 7pm
These are my short-term (weekly) goals:
cooking dinner at least 4x a week instead of eating out
making my lunch at least 4x a week instead of eating out
replacing white bread with brown bread
eating yogurt or fruit for dessert instead of chocolate and ice cream
eating vegetables with every lunch and dinner
take an hour walk at least 3x a week after dinner
lose 3-6 pounds a week
This is my long-term goal:
To lose 30 pounds by July 1st.
“The most important thing is that we must be constantly moving forward - yes, the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. And our growth should never end.”
OG MANDINO
Another aspect of personal growth is finding great support systems with which we can learn and grow alongside. This can look very different from person to person. Sometimes that means seeing experts, such as therapists, to support you and provide you with tools to grow. It can also mean working with someone else - who has the same goal as you - to act as a mutual support system. As well, think of those family members or friends who would be willing to lend you a helping hand or ongoing encouragement.
It can also be helpful to find someone whose teachings resonate powerfully with you and inspire you, whether their values, lifestyle or ideologies align with you and your goals.
Once you find a framework or see options that are appealing to you, you can start to apply the principles to your own life and experiences. It is essential to reiterate that these systems do not have to be people or physical experiences. Books, podcasts, apps, online resources, and videos can be beneficial to expose you to perspectives that can lead to further self-discovery and growth.
Achieving your goals and personal growth takes a desire to change and consistent action to succeed. It’s not easy as it involves unlearning and practicing different responses then you are used to. However, you must remember that you can make meaningful change in your life… even if it’s step-by-step, little by little, day by day.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And, sometimes love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
