Important facts about targets

Targets are things that you would like to be doing in the longer term, rather than something you want to achieve immediately.

Set yourself a range of different types of target to work towards to make your life as balanced as possible. So, rather than addressing one particular area of your life, e.g. work, try to ensure that your targets contain a mixture of activities.

Remember that pleasurable activities are as important as income-earning work, household chores, etc.

Set yourself realistic and achievable targets. So bewary of being too ‘driven’ or ‘ambition-orientated’ when setting your targets. For example, if you have not worked for several years, it would be better to set yourself a target of taking up voluntary or part-time work, rather than a full-time job. Or, if you have not walked for a long time, it would be better to set a target of walking for 15 minutes a day rather than walking for an hour at a time. Remember that you will be able to change your targets once your initial ones have been achieved; so you don’t have to bite off more than you can chew at the first attempt.

Make your targets specific , in terms of: – what it is you want to do (activity); – how often you would like to carry out the activity (frequency); – the length of time to be spent on the activity (duration).

Although you may feel that your choice of targets is very restricted because of your symptoms, setting targets, however modest, will provide you with a clear direction and focus.

How to set targets

Look at the examples of target areas on the next two pages to get some ideas for your targets.

Write a list of things that you would like to work towards over the coming months.

Divide your list into target areas (e.g. work, social, exercise, leisure).

Look at the examples of targets on this page, to ensure that your targets are clearly defined and specific.

Choose at least four targets and complete a target breakdown sheet for each of them, as described on this page in the section on ‘How to break down your targets into manageable steps’. Blank sheets are provided on this page.

Examples of target areas

Leisure time

You may find that your time at home is taken up with chores. Think about planning regular time for pleasurable activities; for example, reading, playing amusical instrument, painting, writing letters, ‘quality time’ with children or partner. There may be hobbies you have neglected – or you may have always had a burning desire to try something new!

Work/education

If you are not working, you may consider going back to your old job (if applicable), doing part-time work, or doing some voluntary work.

If you are working, you may feel that you are working excessively, and would benefit from reducing your hours.

You may consider some type of educational course to enable you to find work or change direction in your career, or simply because you have an interest in a particular subject. The material in Chapter 14 on work, courses, and resources (see this page) may provide you with some useful leads.

Social activities

There may be friends and family with whom you have lost touch, or whom you see only rarely. You may like to consider making a regular time for talking to/meeting up with those people. Alternatively, you may like to explore options for meeting new people.

Exercise

In the past you may have exercised regularly. On the other hand, you may never have been particularly fit and have had exercise on a ‘to do’ list formany years. You may like to consider setting aside time for a particular type of exercise.

Chores/DIY/gardening

You may have been unable to do much in your home or garden for some time because of your fatigue; if this is the case, you may feel that you would like to aim at doing some home improvements or a gardening project. Or you may feel that you are endlessly doing chores and could benefit from allocating a specific time to spend on them rather than having them always hanging over you.

Sleep

If sleep is a big problem, you may choose to focus on a specific target in relation to this; for example, a regular getting up time, or not sleeping in the day.

Examples of targets

Be sure to make your targets specific and clearly defined.

Examples of clearly defined targets

To go shopping twice a week for half an hour.

To have a friend for coffee once a week for half an hour.

To walk for 15 minutes daily.

To do voluntary work three times a week for at least two hours on each occasion.

To go out with friends once a week for up to three hours.

To swim twice weekly for half an hour on each occasion.

To do a course at college for three hours weekly.

To do gardening three times a week for half an hour.

To spend one hour daily on my hobby (specify the hobby).

To do one hour of chores daily; e.g. ironing, washing, cleaning.

To work part-time in the profession for which I am trained.

To have two breaks at work of at least 15 minutes each, daily.

To sit and read the paper/ a magazine for half an hour daily.

To get up by 9 a.m. each day.

To stay out of bed until 10 p.m. each night.

These are all measurable targets, so you will know when you have achieved them.

Examples of not clearly defined targets

To go to work. (No frequency or duration specified.)

To go out socially more often. (No frequency or duration specified.)

To be more active. (No activity, frequency or duration specified.)

To feel better. (No activity, frequency or duration specified.)

These are just vague ideas and not measurable; you would therefore not know when you had met them, and would risk feeling uncertain, frustrated and discouraged.

How to break down your targets into manageable steps

As we have already mentioned, targets are things that you want to achieve in the longer term. Therefore, in order to work towards the min away that you will be able to monitor and assess, you will need to break down each one into manageable steps. You can then gradually introduce the consecutive steps into your activity program.

Look at the examples below that have been broken down into manageable steps.

Think of ways to break down each of your own targets into manageable steps.

Make each step small, and grade it from easy to difficult.

Write down your steps to achieving your targets on your target breakdown sheets (see this page for some blank sheets).

Examples of breaking down targets into manageable steps

Target: To go for two ten-minute walks every day.

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET:

To get out of bed/up from my chair each hour and walk round the room.

To walk round my house for one minute every hour.

To walk round the garden/house for two minutes each hour.

To go for three three-minute walks every day.

To go for three five-minute walks every day.

To go for two seven-minute walks every day.

To go for two ten-minute walks every day.

Target : To go out with friends once a week for up to three hours.

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET:

To talk to a friend on the phone for 15 minutes three times a week.

To go to a friend who lives close by for half an hour once a week.

To go to a friend who lives close by for an hour oncea week.

To go out with a friend to a local venue for an hour once a week.

To go out with friend(s) for one and a half hours aweek.

To go out with friend(s) for two hours a week.

To go out with friend(s) for two and a half hours a week.

To go out with friend(s) for three hours a week.

Target: To read for half an hour, twice a day.

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET:

To read for 15 minutes, twice a day.

To read for 20 minutes, twice a day.

To read for 30 minutes, twice a day.

Target: To do voluntary work three times a week for at least two hours on each occasion.

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET:

To write a list of kinds of voluntary work in which Iam interested.

To contact the appropriate association(s) for information.

To plan steps which will help me sustain the activity in which I want to be involved; e.g. standing for longer periods (if working in a charity shop), reading/computer work (if doing administrative work), etc.

Arrange informal visit(s) to the workplace.

Arrange a graded work schedule if possible; e.g.

one hour twice weekly for a couple of weeks; then

one hour three times a week; then

two hours three times a week.

Target: To do something relaxing for myself for one hour every day.

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET:

To leave work on time each day.

To ask other family members to help with the chores.

To make a list of non-urgent tasks that can be put off to another day.

To plan a list of pleasurable things that I would like to do each day.

To choose one of these each day and spend an hour on it.

You may only need two or three steps to achieve a target, or you may need a lot more. We have included space on each target breakdown sheet for two targets, with eight steps to each. Use extra paper if there is not enough space on the sheets for all the steps you want to include.

TARGET BREAKDOWN SHEET

TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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TARGET BREAKDOWN SHEET

TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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8

TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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TARGET BREAKDOWN SHEET

TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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TARGET

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TARGET

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