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Setting goals | Diabetes Hub

Learn why it's important to set goals as a diabetic, and discover a 3-step method that can help you achieve them more easily.

3 BE’S
TO BEAT DIABETES
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Areas of importance
  3. Setting your goals
  4. Keeping up with goals
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Be Proactive
1

Setting goals

Overview

It is important for you to be proactive in managing diabetes and its symptoms, to ensure that it does not impede with your everyday life.

In this section, we’ll provide tips on how to:

  • identify the different areas of your life and how important it is to you
  • set realistic goals
  • keep up with the goals
2

Identifying areas of importance

Consider these areas of your life

Relationships
Health & physical well-being
Work & career
Personal & spiritual growth
Recreation and leisure

2 questions that can help you plan your goals

  1. What are some lifestyle changes you are thinking of making or have made?
  2. How might/did these changes contribute to important areas of your life?
3

Setting your goals

Step 1: Where do you want to be

When determining your goal, you’ll have to consider what’s the intended outcome you are hoping to achieve.

Example of healthy eating goal

Step 1

Where do you want to be?

Where I am now:
“I love having fried chicken everyday!”
Where I am now:
“Manage my weight better
Eat more veggies and less fried food”
This goal is important to me because I want to be healthier and look better

Steps 2 & 3: Set your goals & work around potential barriers

For example:

Step 2

Set your goal

I will...
Action
Stick to My Healthy Plate
Day/Time
Lunchtime on Mondays and Thursdays
Location
At work
Time period
For the next 3 months
Start date
From 14 January
Step 3

Identify and work around potential barriers

What might get in the way
Colleagues suggest having fast food for lunch
I have a particular craving for curry puffs when I’m stressed
There is a stall that sells delicious fried food, on my way home
What i can do
Suggest to try out eateries with healthier options
Unwind in other enjoyable ways, like walking or listening to music
Take an alternative path home
Person(s) who can help
My colleague James likes vegetables
Walk and chat with my neighbour in the evening
NIL

Example of how to set an exercise goal using the 3 steps:

Step 1

Write down the original goal

I will...
Action
Brisk walk for 30 minutes
Day/Time
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after dinner at 8pm
Location
Along the park connector
Time period
For the next 4 weeks
Start date
From 18 June
Step 2

Solve the problem

What got in the way?
I couldn’t get off work on time
Poor weather
Low energy level
How can i work around it?
Do lunchtime exercises or pick a day without 5pm meetings
Do in door exercises
I can sleep earlier the night before or pick a weekend day to exercise earlier
Step 3

Revise your goal

I will...
Action
Do lunchtime exercise and brisk walk
Day/Time
  • Lunchtime exercise on Mondays
  • Brisk walk on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Location
Office gym, park connector
Time period
Another 4 weeks
Start date
From 18 July
4

Keeping up with goals

Ensure that you are able to keep up with your goal

Complete the “Keeping up with my goal” handout if there are barriers to accomplishing the goal.

Use the 2 rulers below to check if the goal is doable. If the scores are less than 7, adjust the goal.

Section:
Overview
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Sleeping well
Diabetes hub section:
Be Proactive
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Treatment targets and monitoring
Setting goals | Diabetes Hub
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