STAYING ON TRACK
Tips for setting your goals
It’s important to know where you are going and keep up your motivation to get there.
It’s a good idea to step back for a moment to think about what is going smoothly in your diabetes management and what may be bumpy. For example, you might already have a reliable routine with taking your medicine but find it harder to fit blood glucoseBlood glucoseThe main sugar found in the blood, and the body’s main source of energy. checks into your day. Setting diabetes self-care goals with your doctor may help you work toward managing your diabetes.
4 tips for setting diabetes self‑care goals
Be sure to have a conversation with your doctor about checking your blood glucose and setting blood glucose goals. Together, you and your doctor can:
- Make goals clear and specific. For example, "I will do one blood glucose check per day first thing in the morning."
- Set realistic goals. If you are barely checking once a week, expecting yourself to suddenly check 4 times daily might be biting off more than you can chew
- Decide on defined timeframes. This helps you to focus and stay on track of your goals rather than put them off until some other time—give yourself a week or 2 weeks and then evaluate how things have gone
- Choose goals that feel important to you. If you're not sure why your doctor is recommending a goal, ask questions to find out
Motivation matters
Think about what motivates you to make healthy changes. For example:
- Being as healthy as possible so you can be there for your family
- You may know someone who faced diabetes problems and you don't want that to happen to you
- You may feel older than your age and want more energy
Write down what motivates you and put it somewhere that you will see often. Once you reach a goal, focus on how it makes you feel today. You don't always have to focus on something far into the future. The feeling of accomplishment from taking a small step toward your goal may be the best motivator of all!
