The scales don’t lie. I’ve been eating my feelings the last 18 months. So recently I homed in on my health and set a weight loss goal. In the process, I explored two very well-known weight loss apps and the benefits and drawbacks of each. One focuses on positive psychology and making behavioral changes in to achieve weight loss, the other focuses on awareness and tracking. It got me to thinking, the two of these components shouldn’t be mutually exclusive; the most holistic solution would include both. I mean really, if I don’t maintain a positive outlook about who I am and where I’m intentionally headed, then I will never really get off of the “go” square. If I don’t change my behavior, it lessens the odds of my goal being sustainable. Yet, if I don’t set up the steps to success and be able to reflect on the journey, I’m likely to get overwhelmed by the end goal and/or “get lost” in the process. (Some call that the recipe for “yo-yo dieting” disaster.)
When the Flourish person-centered care planning app was created, our team considered both critical factors for goal-achieving success in the development of the app:
Those using Flourish use it to convey what motivates them, what they like, what their goals are and how to best work with them, increasing the awareness of their support system and hence, their odds for success. It keeps their goals in the form of a vision board they carry in their pocket each day to encourage them – but stays focused on more succinct steps needed to achieve their goals so they don’t become overwhelmed.
Setting short, mid, and long-term goals as “stairsteps” to the end-goal makes success more realistic and achievable. It keeps individuals in line with what they need to do each-and-every day to get to the bigger goal, tomorrow. Involving others (support staff) increases accountability as they track progress toward each step of achievement. Finally, noting and celebrating the milestones along the way makes the journey much less taxing for everyone involved.
You see, Flourish includes both important ingredients in the secret sauce of goal-achieving success:
Positive psychology: What makes me…ME? What are my goals and why? How am I going to get there? (And working together with support staff in clearly defining these factors.)
Tracking: Breaking goals into more succinct steps, tracking and viewing progress, celebrating accomplishments, and experiencing the intrinsic value of achieving intended goals.
Better yet, the outcomes are just as positive for support staff members; improving staff/client relationships, streamlining person-centered planning, and affording them the ability to pull necessary documentation for annual reporting.
If you want to talk about ways to improve person-centered care plans for the people you serve, don’t hesitate to reach out to me/us!
If you want to talk about weight loss, you’ll have to hold your horses – I’m still working on it!
Until next time,
Kerri
