Week 13: Taking a Deeper Look at Goal Setting
Past week review (no longer than 10 - 15 minutes). Last week's lesson was about managing feelings. During this past week, did you have any experiences or find yourself in any situations where managing your feelings came into play?
Pause for discussion.
If not, in retrospect, were there times or situations where managing your feelings could have been helpful?
Discuss.
The lesson also talked about over-learned interpretations that are so ingrained that we accept them as truth. Did anyone find themselves questioning…or even challenging some of their feelings associated with these kinds of over-learned interpretations?
Discuss.
What about the intervention techniques…such as readjusting your goals…or your expectations of others…or managing your environment to avoid upsets…or giving yourself permission to refuse to dwell on unpleasantries…. Who put some of these into use this past week?
Pause for discussion.
If you didn't, were there situations where you now realize that using these techniques could have been helpful to you?
Discuss.
Now, before we go on to the lesson, does anyone have any other insights or interesting experiences that they think would be valuable to share with the group? What about any questions?
Wait for any response/discussion. (Be sure not to let this run too long or get too far off topic.)
Then, play the lesson. (Next Slide ) After Audio Check-In: What did you think of the lesson you just heard? Anyone have any thoughts they'd like to share? Questions? "Ah Ha Moments"?
Give people a bit of time to flush out initial reactions before moving on to the next discussion point. If there are no responses, simply move forward. Discussion Point 1: Today's lesson was all about goals. Do you remember some of the important things to keep in mind when setting goals? Goals should be what….?
Answer: Goals should be realistic and achievable, and they should always be written
down so they can be tracked.
Let's start today's discussion by getting out the paper you used for the exercise in the lesson – the one where you crossed out any unrealistic goals. How did you feel about that? Did you feel relief, as the lesson said you would? What did you feel?
Look around the room at people's faces to see their reactions to these questions. Call on people who seem to be reacting to the questions.
If you had some problems with this, let's take a look at some of those unrealistic goals and see if there's a way to revise them into more achievable, realistic goals. Who'd like to start? How about you, _________?
Call on someone who showed some reaction to the previous question but didn’t speak up or comment.
Discussion Point 2: The exercise that you did earlier was about your weight loss goals, but let's think about other goals as well.
Just turn that paper over and take a few minutes to think about and write down two or three other goals that have been on your mind lately.
Go through the same process and label them…short term/long term and realistic/unrealistic. Can you revise any of the unrealistic goals to make them achievable? If not, cross them out.
Who'd like to start us out with sharing their thoughts about this?
Or, anyone need some help from the group with revising their goals?
Discussion Point 3: Today's lesson also talked about the idea that you have a task ahead of you which is to begin to develop an “Internal Locus of Control.” Does everyone understand what that means? Can anyone help us out by explaining what “developing an internal locus of control” means?
Give people an opportunity to talk about what this means and then you can read this to
clarify:
It means learning to monitor your internal environment in order to make your assessments and judgments. Switching from being controlled by externals to what you know to be the case internally – for example, knowing how you look and feel and not just depending upon external praise from others or feedback from the scale. It means coming to depend upon your own internal awareness and understanding.
Can you think of some examples of past situations where you now realize that you were reacting to external praise or judgement rather than your own internal knowledge? Who’d like to start with an example?
Discuss.
Wrap-Up: Learning to set realistic, achievable goals is a talent that will benefit you not only with regard to your weight goals, but in all aspects of your life. And developing the ability to honestly evaluate your unrealistic goals so that you can either revise them into achievable goals or just dismiss them entirely is an accomplishment to be proud of.
And while we’re on the subject of goals, one of the first goals that you established when you started this program was to set a goal weight. We are already half-way through the program, so now is a good time to take another look at the goal weight you established at the beginning of this course. Take into consideration how many pounds you’ve lost so far and what your average rate of weight loss has been. Was the original goal weight you set truly realistic? Do you need to readjust that goal? Up or down?
Right now is a good time to do that – if it is necessary. And, do remember to choose a number that ends in a “7.” It will help to keep you in better control when you do achieve that goal weight.
So, this week as part of your homework, take a few minutes to think about the goal weight you established – and either confirm it or readjust it.
And, as this week’s lesson said, everyone here set an initial goal to commit to this program – and you are more than half-way there – you are achieving that goal! Congratulations!
Track Your Progress: