Most of us have big aspirations when it comes to our health — losing 20kg, increasing our energy levels, or adopting healthier habits. Yet, many of these goals fizzle out before we see real progress. Why? Because we often set unrealistic expectations right from the start; whether that be setting overly ambitious targets, or expecting dramatic results overnight. When the bar is set too high, the result is often frustration and disappointment rather than lasting success. That’s where realistic goal-setting comes in.
In our final blog of this year, we’ll explore 6 key steps to set yourself up for success – not failure – in 2025. Whether your goals are specifically health-related or touch on personal, spiritual, or professional growth, the principles remain the same: break down your bigger ambitions into smaller, manageable steps, then build on each victory consistently over time.
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
– Tony Robbins
Why Realistic Goals Matter
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and lifestyle coaching both focus on the idea that mindset and behaviour are deeply intertwined — a key tenet of functional medicine, which views our health and well-being as a holistic tapestry made up of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual factors.. When one area is off balance, it affects your ability to stay on track and achieve your goals.
Realistic goals acknowledge the complexity of your personal circumstances, unique health situation, allowing you to factor in your health situation, lifestyle, personal schedule, and any physiological changes you may be experiencing (like shifting hormones).
Setting the bar too high can set you up for disappointment. But by aiming for small, measurable improvements, you ensure each win is attainable and motivating, fueling the drive to keep going.
1. Manage Your Expectations & Be Realistic
The first step is to respect your individual starting point. Everyone’s journey and circumstances are different — some people have more demanding jobs, others may be juggling family obligations, dealing with health issues or recovering from physical injury.
- Be honest with yourself: Assess your current situation (stress levels, time constraints, physical limitations, etc.)
- Set achievable goals: Rather than aiming for dramatic changes overnight, focus on consistency and incremental improvement. This principle applies across the board – from health and fitness to professional development and spiritual growth.
- Be kind to yourself: Self-compassion helps you stay patient and realistic. Real progress is not linear, and setbacks don’t mean failure. They’re simply part of the journey.
Set the bar at a level that challenges you but is still within reach, you avoid the trap of frustration when those unrealistic targets aren’t met. If your goals are too high and unrealistic from the outset, you are effectively setting yourself up to fail before you’ve even begun.
2. Break Down Larger Goals Into Smaller Steps
Big changes don’t happen overnight. The act of achieving smaller goals will motivate you further toward your bigger objective.
- Weight Loss Example:
Let’s say your larger goal is to lose 12kg. Breaking it down and set yourself a monthly goal of losing 0.5kg per month. Now you have a smaller, more realistic goal to aim for each month. This approach would take you two years to reach your ultimate target – which sounds like a long time – but each month you’ll feel good about reaching your smaller goal, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand. Plus, the likelihood of not only achieving your larger goal but maintaining it is much higher than if you tried to lose the 12kg using an intensive diet over a 6-12 months.
- Gut Health Example:
Want to improve your gut health? Think about what you can do daily or weekly to make progress. If you suspect coffee is contributing to acidity in your gut, try reducing your daily coffee intake – if you drink three cups a day, start by reducing that to two cups. Once that becomes a habit, consider reducing to one cup per day and so on. Think of workarounds that can help you adjust, like substituting one of your daily cups of coffee for a cup of herbal tea instead.
- Stress Reduction Example:
Many people want to lower their stress levels. Instead of trying every stress-management technique at once, pick one habit — such as five minutes of meditation daily. After one month, if you’ve made it a consistent part of your routine, increase this to ten minutes.
Each of these smaller goals builds momentum. Over time, you’ll have formed new habits, creating a lifestyle shift that supports your bigger aspirations.
3. Make Your Goals SMART
A handy framework for goal-setting is to make goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For example:
- Specific: Clearly define your goal. Instead of “I want to lose weight,” say “I will walk 30 minutes, five days a week.”
- Measurable: Identify how you’ll track your progress. Choose whatever works best for you consistently logging your actions and results.
- Achievable: Ensure the goal fits your lifestyle and current abilities. Goals that are too difficult can lead to burnout, while goals that are too easy won’t push you to grow.
- Relevant: Align your goal with your larger priorities. If better gut health is a priority, cutting down on coffee or sugar is more relevant than, say, focusing on a new exercise fad. Or if it’s winter and the weather is bad, try focusing on indoor forms of exercise.
- Time-Bound: Set a specific time frame—such as one month—before reassessing and adjusting to avoid tinkering or giving up on things before you’ve given them a chance to have an effect.
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4. Measure Your Progress & Celebrate It
Track your wins. Following the SMART system, keep a hand-written journal or a calendar that is visible in your home or office, create a spreadsheet on your computer, or try using a habit-tracking app or the notes app on your phone. This will help you see patterns, maintain consistency and remain accountable to yourself. Once you get a streak going that you can actually see recorded in front of you, you will not want to break it.
Celebrate small victories. Reward yourself with non-food-related treats (e.g., a relaxing bath, new workout gear) or share your success with a loved one or an online community. Positivity goes a long way and reinforces your progress, creating a feedback loop.
5. Recognise & Embrace Setbacks
Realistic health goals acknowledge that life is unpredictable — work deadlines, family obligations, or an unexpected cold can knock you off course. The key is to maintain a flexible mindset. Instead of feeling discouraged, adapt your goals as needed and continue progressing in smaller ways.
If you slip up on your diet one day, skip a workout because of a work event, or revert to old habits for a short while, don’t let these moments define you. View it as a lesson and recognise that setbacks or ‘timeouts’ are inevitable. Just make sure to not let them stack up or make too many excuses:
- Identify what led to the slip-up: Busy schedule, stress, injury, lack of support, poor time management, loss of motivation.
- Adjust your plan accordingly: Maybe you need to simplify your goals, switch up your approach, or instead of doing a one-hour long work out, you could squeeze in a 15-minute jog.
6. Consistency Compounds Over Time
Whether your aim is weight loss, improved mental health or professional development, it’s consistency that adds up in the long run. Small, daily efforts — like cutting back on coffee or meditating for 10 minutes every day — may seem minor, but it’s key to not overlook the importance of these seemingly tiny changes to your daily routine.
Over weeks, months and years, these actions will accumulate and eventually compound into much bigger lifestyle and mindset shift that yields sustainable results and long-lasting change.
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Speak to one of our trusted practitioners to find out how we can help you design a personalised plan to achieve your health goals.
YOUR HEALTH. YOUR CHOICE.
When you set realistic, manageable goals — and celebrate each milestone along the way — you set yourself up for success in all areas of life: health, personal, professional, and spiritual. Remember that all big things start small, and the journey to better health and wellness is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you’re ready to take the next step toward lasting well-being, our online functional medicine clinic is here to empower you to achieve your goals. Incorporating Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and health coaching techniques into our practice, we support clients with personalised plans rooted in realistic goals, helping you transform those small steps into meaningful, long-term results.
At Nutrition Diets Clinic, our functional medicine approach considers your unique genetic makeup, diet, environmental exposures, lifestyle factors, and health history:
1) Expert one-to-one therapy
2) Personalised nutrition and lifestyle plans
3) Easy, at-home functional testing
We offer thorough clinical assessment and therapy via convenient online consultations. Getting started is simple and free so why not take charge of your health today with our science-based strategies?
