Process goals are the actions and habits you take to reach your health goals. As in, “To reclaim my energy and strength, I will lift weights twice a week for 30 minutes and do a 20-minute dance class twice a week.” Or something like that.
Zero discomfort with your process goals (“Instead of the usual 90-minute interval, I will now get off the couch once an hour to get more Doritos.”) means it’s unlikely that your process goals move you closer to your big goal.
But if you aim for too much discomfort, you won’t stick to it (“I haven’t done any running for years, but starting tomorrow, I will run 60 minutes a day, backwards, up a hill, while towing my kids in a flat tyre wheelbarrow”).
There’s no universal rule on how much discomfort you can tolerate when changing lifestyle habits. But you’ll just have to start somewhere.
Here’s what I tell most new clients.
Your process goals should feel like a stretch, but you’re still 90% confident you can complete them most days.
Now, where did I leave that wheelbarrow?
-J