We’ve made it this far, and now it’s time to get down to the business of action planning. If you’ve been feeling like your ultimate goal—whether it’s a healthier lifestyle, running that 5K, or finally feeling confident in your body—seems a bit fuzzy or overwhelming, don’t worry. This week, we’re going to take that big, sometimes vague idea and break it down into clear, actionable steps that you can take one by one. You’ll know exactly what to do next to keep moving toward your goal.
First things first: Anticipate, plan, strategize. This is the way of the coaching ninja. And the way of the successful client (that’s you). If you’ve ever practiced martial arts, you know how important it is to think ahead and have a plan. The Japanese word “do” (think “judo”) means “the way” or “path,” and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for here—a clear path to your success.
We’re going to lay out an action plan. This is your battle strategy. Your big picture plan that will guide everything you do. And then we’ll break it down into smaller tactics, or the specific steps that will help you execute your strategy.
Let’s get to the heart of it.
Components of Your Action Plan
Where are you right now? – Before we do anything, we need to understand where you’re starting from. This is about getting clear on your baseline: where you are in your journey today.
Where do you want to go? – This is your destination. Your big goal, the thing you’re working towards. The clearer this is, the easier it’ll be to map out the steps to get there.
What are you working with? – What resources, habits, or skills do you already have that will help you? What obstacles might be in your way? Knowing these helps us identify what’s realistic and how we’ll approach this.
How are you going to do what you’re going to do? – We’ll determine the overall approach here: the how-to of your plan. It’s about setting up systems and strategies that make your goal achievable.
What are you going to do? – Now we’ll get into the specifics. What are the actions you’ll take on a daily or weekly basis to get closer to that big goal?
But we’re not stopping there. We want to ensure your plan is as clear and effective as possible, which means thinking about how we’ll communicate your plan, what might happen if things go off track, and how we’ll measure your progress.
The Four Pillars of Behavior Goals
When deciding on action steps, use these four lenses to guide your thinking:
Bright Spots: These are areas you are already succeeding in. Use them as a foundation. For example, if you're already eating a veggie at every meal, perhaps try to increase that or try a new variety.
Limiting Factors: These are the barriers that might hold you back. If sleep is an issue, it could affect your ability to work out. Identifying and addressing these factors is key.
Low-Hanging Fruits: These are the small, easy wins that can build momentum. It could be something as simple as adding a short daily walk to your routine.
Big Opportunities: These are the major actions that would make a huge impact. They’re more challenging but could yield significant results. For example, committing to five workouts a week would make a major difference, but it’s a bigger commitment.
Setting SMART Goals
Now, let’s get into how to make your action steps specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound—we call these SMART goals.
For example, if your goal is to sleep 8 hours a night, a SMART goal would be:
Specific: Sleep 8 hours every night
Measurable: Track sleep using a sleep app or journal
Actionable: Set a bedtime routine 4 times a week
Realistic: Aim to move your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes each week
Time-bound: Achieve 8 hours of sleep within the next 3 weeks
The key is making sure that each step is something you can confidently do, and that you know when and how to do it.
Breaking It Down Into Behaviors
Big goals can feel intimidating, so let’s break them down into smaller behaviors. These are the actions you’ll take consistently. Each action leads you closer to your goal and builds momentum. We’ll use what we call the Four Circle Exercise to connect the dots between what you want (your outcome goal) and what you’re doing today (your action step). Here’s how:
Your Outcome Goal (e.g., run a 5K in 20 minutes)
Skills: What skills do you need? (e.g., increase stamina)
Practices: What practices will help you build that skill? (e.g., running 3 times a week)
Actions: What actions will you take immediately? (e.g., run for 20 minutes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday)
Making It All Stick
Consistency is key. But it’s also important to reflect on how your behavior goals connect to your values and identity. Does this goal reflect who you want to be? Does it align with what truly matters to you?
For instance, if one of your values is “being active,” your action goal of running 3 times a week will feel more natural. This is how we make the process sustainable, because your actions are tied to who you really want to be.
Overcoming Obstacles
What if things go wrong? We’ve got that covered, too. We’ll anticipate challenges and create back-up plans so you can keep moving forward, even when life throws you a curveball. The more we plan ahead for potential obstacles, the more likely you’ll stick to the plan when life gets tough.
The Power of Small Steps
Don’t underestimate the power of small wins. Every time you hit one of those behavior goals, it’s a step closer to your ultimate outcome. And each of those small successes builds your confidence and motivation.
As you’re working through your action plan, I want you to ask yourself: What’s the next small, clear step you can take right now? Keep it simple. Keep it clear. And then do it. Just one thing at a time.
In this week’s practice, we’ve laid the foundation for breaking down your big goals into smaller, actionable steps. Whether it’s running your first 5K, improving your sleep, or just feeling more confident and in control, this approach will help you get there. Every small, deliberate action will eventually add up to massive change.
Ready to dive into your action plan? Let’s do this! You’ve got the tools you need to make progress and see results.
I challenge you to give one or both of these worksheets a try. Once completed, send me a screen shot or copy. watson2wellness@gmail.com or via a private message on your account.
Comments