New Year’s Resolutions- A More Personal Approach to Finally Make Progress
New Year, New You. At some point, whether it is the beginning of a new calendar or new school year, we have felt the hope and energy of turning over a new leaf.
Challenges with Setting Goals- Children, Teens, and Families
However, when we or our children are managing chronic pain, illness, or mental health concerns, the gap between where we are and where we hope to be can feel overwhelming.
One step that is often rushed or under appreciated is simply identifying and clarifying your personal goals. It is really difficult to know if you are getting better, if we have not defined what getting better even means to you!
Fortunately, psychologists have a rich history of developing and validating measurements (often questionnaires) of big concepts such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life. They have helped propel research forward in better understanding and addressing these concerns.
However, there may be some limitations to these questionnaires when it comes to an individual. Each adult and child is unique, and they may not feel that their individuality is captured in the questionnaire. Furthermore, the standard questionnaires often do not take into account the complexity of goals, such as:
Complexity of Goals
the priority of different goals- some may feel more important or urgent than others
the interactions between multiple goals- e.g. how does my sleep goal affect my anxiety goal?
multiple perspectives- e.g. the goals of the parent, the child, the teacher, and the health care provider
changes over time
Goal Attainment Scaling has been offered as a solution to help clinicians and researchers merge the individuality of a unique person with the needs to aggregate data to make meaningful conclusions. It is a complex mathematical formula that may not be realistic for the average person to implement on a regular basis, and it is still being studied. Yet, we can still learn from the principles of Goal Attainment Scaling to get a better start in this new year.
How to Set More Personal and Successful Goals
Step 1: Identify everyone’s goals
Get all parties involved- e.g. parents, child, teachers, health care providers- and simply name all the different goals that you have.
This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page, or even find surprises!
Interested in improving sleep or trying mindfulness? Check out this post on teen sleep tips and this post on mindfulness and pediatric health.
Step 2: Clarify those goals
Clarify and specify these goals as best as you can. What does “getting better” mean?
The more goals we have and the more ways we can define success, the better our outcomes usually are.
Ask yourself, what would it mean or look like to get better? Are there any steps along the way that might show that we’re getting closer to the goal?
Step 3: Prioritize those goals
The old saying, if everything matters, nothing does, has some truth to it
It may be painful- everything can feel equally important and urgent
Do your best to rank order the goals based on what matters most to you, centering the child and family’s priority
Step 4: Be Honest about Where You Are Right Now
This can be painful too, but get honest about where you are right now with your goal. This can also be empowering, because we are now calling that your baseline. All progress will be measured in comparison to this, not to where you used to be
Overall, according to researchers studying and using Goal Attainment Scaling, following these steps can have a number of benefits:
Benefits
Motivation and engagement in treatment
Improved treatment outcomes
Transition to independence and health care decision making for young adults
Feeling that your journey is more personalized and customized to you and your family
Help Me with My Goals
If you or your child may benefit from a personalized approach, but have been struggling in some of your goals, please click Get Started at the top right of the page. Dr. Emily Foxen-Craft can help you and your family get clarity on goals, make a plan, and work together to make meaningful progress.
If you click the Get Started button, we can schedule a free, brief consultation call to learn about your goals, whether we are a good fit, and if Pediatric Pain and Behavioral Health is right for you.
References
Haladay, D., Ditwiler, R. E., Klein, A. B., Miro, R., Lazinski, M., Swisher, L. L., ... & Hardwick, D. (2022). Goal Attainment Scaling in Outpatient Physical Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(3), e32457.
Turner-Stokes, L. (2009). Goal attainment scaling (GAS) in rehabilitation: a practical guide. Clinical rehabilitation, 23(4), 362-370.
Kiresuk, T. J., & Sherman, R. E. (1968). Goal attainment scaling: A general method for evaluating comprehensive community mental health programs. Community mental health journal, 4, 443-453.