How to get specific with your health goals and see results
details matter.
Do you know the scene in Devil Wears Prada (one of my favorite movies and looking at the release date made me feel old) when Anne Hathaway (Andy) giggles and says “it’s just that… both those belts look exactly the same to me.”
Then Miranda Priestly, the editor, gives the glare that could be felt through your TV screen and says:
You… go to your closet, and you select… I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean.
Cerulean. Yes. Details matter.
This is not a concept that I’ve just stumbled on or it has come super easy to me, but it’s taken active practice, failure along the way and wisdom as I get older and focus on what matters most. By approaching my tasks, dreams, needs and rhythms with specificity, I’ve seen real results and more confidence and calm along the way.
I remember first practicing this concept in my own life when I was pregnant with our second child. I started praying specific prayers over his life and birth—instead of saying, I pray for a healthy baby, I would pray for nurses to be receptive to my birth wishes and desires, I would pray for healthy cells and the intricate scientific details of the cells from his head to his toes.
With my health, instead of saying I want to be less anxious—I started saying, I am going to wake up each morning at 5:30 to have my morning quiet time because I see a shift in my anxious thoughts when I do this.
Instead of a big new years goal, I fully committed to the rhythm of reading my Bible, prayer and completing one work task before opening my email and social inbox!
^ That one, highly specific goal has changed everything for me and our family—nervous system regulation, less anxious thoughts, a calmer and focused mind, more energy, more joy in motherhood because I have quiet time to fuel my brain and emotions before the fullness of the day begins.
Robust, general goals can be overwhelming. Any time you add overwhelm or vague ambitions, they are much less likely to happen, you are much less likely to do the work because it’s so broad. I mean what does “I want to eat more healthy” even mean?! Then you get discouraged and give up.
But with specific goals, you do the work, see a shift and are much more likely to continue! Specifics also personalize the rhythm, goal and result to you—when you love doing something and see results that change your life, you’ll keep going with confidence and joy!
Read ‘Should vs want’ …why language matters >
Specifics bring results!
Instead of…
I want to loose weight.
I want to be less anxious.
I need to workout more.
I need to sleep more.
I should eat more healthy.
Shift to specifics…
I want to be less anxious shifts to…
I am going to wake up at 5:30 am for my morning quiet time. I am going to open my Bible and my planner before my email inbox or social media. I am going to consistently take my CBD to bring my body into a place of capacity and balance.
I need to sleep more shifts to…
I am going to guard Sunday afternoon quiet time for rest and going to get into bed no later than 9:00pm each night even if I have a lot to do still.
I should eat more healthy shifts to…
I am going to prepare a meal plan for our family for the week. I am committing to baking sourdough bread to replace many of the package foods. I know that when I have a plan, I am set up for success even though the full, crazy moments of the week.
I want my house to seem less chaotic…
I am going to do one load of laundry per day and fully put it away—it’s amazing at the difference this makes! 😉
This is a concept I love working through with my clients—as I chat with them, I subtly ask specific questions about their day, their successes, their struggles, what they love to do, their biggest stressors or most stressful time of day. With these details, we can begin to form a plan of specific tools to bring wellness and healing long term.
How can you begin this process?
Questions to think through to discover your specific wellness goals:
What brings joy, calm, wellness and energy to my life?
What time of day works best for my routines?
What day can I intentionally carve out an extra hour for planning and resetting my week?
Do I need to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier?
When is my most stressful and anxious time of day? What can I do in that moment to calm my mind and body?
I’d love to hear some of your specific goals, details matter! Join the conversation in the comments! 👇🏽
