The Secret to Achieving Your Goals: Shift from Outcomes to Actions

Many of the women I work with have big health goals they want to achieve.

• Lose 20 pounds.
• Get fit and feel stronger.
• Sleep a full 8 hours each night.
• Have a more peaceful relationship with food.

These are known as outcome-based goals. And they’re fantastic for providing direction and motivation. (I’m sure you have some goals like these, too!)

However, focusing solely on the desired outcome doesn’t always help with the day-to-day actions needed to achieve those larger goals. That’s because we often don’t have direct control over outcomes.

For instance, we can’t just snap our fingers and see a 20-pound weight loss on the scale or change our relationship with food overnight.

What we can control are our daily behaviours, and that’s where the magic happens.

Enter Behaviour-Based Goals

Behaviour-based goals shift the focus to your daily actions. They’re empowering, practical, and more likely to lead to your desired results. Directing your energy toward these actions creates momentum that naturally brings you closer to your bigger goals.

Here’s how to shift from focusing on outcomes to focusing on behaviours:

Outcome Goal: Lose 20 pounds.

Potential Behaviour-Based Goals:

• Plan meals the night before.
• Eat slowly at each meal and aim for about “80% full” (satisfied, not stuffed).
• Incorporate some form of movement every day (even a walk counts).
• When things get tough, remind yourself to keep going—you’ve got your own back.
• Find non-food ways to cope with emotions (like going for a walk, journaling, or listening to a podcast).

How to Set Behavior-Based Goals

1. Identify your outcome. (For example: “I want to get 8 hours of sleep.”)
2. Break it down. What skills or practices will help you achieve this outcome? Maybe you need to work on “winding down earlier” or “improving your nighttime routine.”
3. Choose an action you can take today. For instance, turn off screens 30 minutes before bed or get into your pajamas earlier to signal it’s time to wind down.
4. Repeat consistently. Progress isn’t about perfection. It’s about taking small, manageable steps that build real momentum over time.

By focusing on what you can do rather than just the end goal, you stay in control of your progress. With consistency, the results will come.

This approach isn’t just for sleep or weight loss—it applies to any outcome-based goal you’re working toward.

Here’s to making meaningful progress toward your goals!

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