Procedure

1. P is for Purpose. First, establish the values or the “why” behind your goal. If your goal is to exercise every day, you should investigate why you want to do this. For example, you may have this goal because you want to be healthier.

2. A is for Actionable. In the second level of the pyramid, you want to identify your wishes and determine ways to achieve them. These wishes should be connected to the value and should be positive or approach-oriented rather than avoidance-oriented. These goals should be doable. For example, “I wish I were healthier, so I don’t get tired when I play with my kids” instead of “I wish I weren’t so lazy.” Becoming healthier is something that you can do step-by-step and will result in your achieving your ultimate goal of being healthy for your family.

3. C is for Continuous. Once your goals have been identified and you have figured out the logical steps that you want to take, the third level of the pyramid is to identify obstacles that stand in the way of your achieving your goals. For example, the obstacle might be undoing a bad habit. For example, if one of your obstacles is lack of energy, then you may want to address this first: “The first thing I want to do when I get home is plop on the couch and watch something on television.” Instead of lying down when you first get home, resolve to start by moving your body and exercising — at first for a short period of time. Doing this every day for a week will replace the bad habit with a positive one. And you will be inspired to work continuously toward increasing the amount of time you exercise.

4. T is for Trackable. At the bottom level of the pyramid, write a goal that is focused specifically on overcoming the identified obstacle/s. If your obstacle is lack of energy when you get home, your specific goal might be, “Exercise for 15 minutes every day when I first get home.” Each day, you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend exercising.

This strategy is aligned with the PACT formula. It begins with the Purpose: to become more fit. It is Actionable because it is built using a positive approach orientation. It is Continuous because you have committed to it and have a plan for continued action. And it is Trackable because you have documented it and intend to follow through.