Love yourself this February! Creating a Self-Management Plan to Change Your Own Behavior

By Colleen Smith, MA, BCBA – Director of Behavioral Health

Now that we are through January and are mentally and physically ready to make good on those resolutions, I asked you to kindly put off a bit, I am here to help. Any time you want or need to change your own behavior you need to create an effective self-management plan. A good self-management plan includes goal setting, environmental arranging, data collection accountability, and reinforcement. Whether you are looking to add some exercise, improve your eating habits or just read more often you can use these steps to create a self-management plan that works and remains effective over time.

1. Set up the environment for success. If you want to increase water intake be sure to have easy access to water. Fill water bottles in advance, keep a case of water in your car or at your desk, and have more than one refillable bottle so that you don’t have to wait for one to be cleaned before using it. Don’t keep many other beverages in your house. You won’t be tempted to drink soda if you don’t have any around. Use post-it notes, Alexa reminders or alarms on your phone to remind you to keep drinking.
2. Set a measurable goal. This may be the number of ounces of water you want to drink daily or the weight you want to reach by the end of the month. Your goal should include a mastery criterion. For example, following my self-management plan I will drink 64 ounces of water a day for 30 consecutive days.
3. Keep data. Data don’t lie. Create a tracking system that works for your goal. This may be putting tally marks on paper or putting an X on the calendar date each day you drink 64 ounces.
4. Find a way to keep yourself accountable. Have a buddy check in on you and ask to see your data. Better yet use Facebook to post your progress. Public Posting is a very effective way to recruit public support and hold yourself accountable for meeting your goal.
5. Reward yourself when you meet a goal. Decide on a reinforcer that is reasonable but motivating. If you know you won’t be able to afford expensive clothes as a reward and will likely not follow through with rewarding yourself then select something else. Decide when you will receive the reward. You may select having one soda at the end of each day you drink 64 ounces of water or you may decided to have a massage when you reach 30 days and complete your water drinking goal. You may need your accountability partner to hold your reward for you until you have earned it. 
6. You may also want to add a plan for what to do when you don’t meet your goal. If you are short a few ounce one day just try again the next day but if five days have passed and you have not met your goal you may need to revise your goal to make it more attainable and/or make changes to your plan. 

You are in charge of your plan and responsible for your results, but you are worth it!