Goal Setting

SMART is an acronym used to create goals that can help reduce your pain and improve function.

• Specific: Be clear about what you want to accomplish.
• Measurable: Decide how you will track your progress and adherence toward your goals.
• Attainable: Identify goals that are slightly challenging but realistic. This means your goals may change over time as your symptoms get better or worse.
• Relevant: Focus on the goals that improve your symptoms and quality of life.
• Targeted: Determine when and how long you will carry out your plan.

Once you decide what your goals will be, you need to develop an action plan to guide you in reaching your goals. When creating your action plan, you will need to decide:

• What you will do.
• When you will do it.
• How often you will do it.

Setting up an action plan for your goals makes them more attainable and will help you stick to these goals and eventually reduce your symptoms.

Let's walk through an example together. Pretend you have decided that you want to exercise to help manage pain. To give yourself the best chance at success, create your action plan and be specific:

• What: Walk around the block.
• When: Every morning at 9 a.m.
• Duration: 30 minutes.
• Intensity: Walking at 3.5 miles per hour.
• Frequency: 5 days per week.
• Evaluation: Stick to this plan for 2 weeks and then re-evaluate your goal.

• Tell someone you trust about your goals. They can help keep you motivated.
• Plan a reward for yourself for when you achieve a goal.
• When developing your action plan, consider what challenges you may face. Then, come up with strategies to overcome these challenges so that you can still meet your goals.
• Listen to your body. If you need a break, then take one. Your goal will still be there when you're ready to continue.
• Know that setting and achieving goals is a process with ups and downs.
• It's okay to modify your goals depending on how you're feeling. Living with chronic pancreatitis can be unpredictable and having flexibility is important.