Setting Health Goals That Actually Stick (Even If You've Failed A Thousand Times Before)

It was 6:47 AM when Sandra realized she'd made a terrible mistake.

Her muscles screamed. Her knees throbbed. And the "Bootcamp For Boomers" instructor kept yelling something about "pushing through the pain."

Sandra glanced around the gym at the other participants – mostly thirty-somethings in color-coordinated athleisure wear, bouncing through burpees like caffeinated kangaroos.

"This is what my daughter meant by 'getting healthy'?" she thought, forcing herself through another wobbly squat.

By 6:53 AM, Sandra was back in her car, fighting tears of frustration and embarrassment.

Another failed attempt at "getting healthy." Another reminder that she wasn't twenty anymore. Another reason for her kids to exchange those worried looks when they thought she wasn't watching.

Maybe you've had your own "Sandra moment."

That time you tried the Paleo diet because your friend swore by it... only to give up after a week of feeling foggy and irritable.

Or when you downloaded that fitness app your grandson recommended... but the exercises felt like they were designed for Olympic athletes.

Or maybe it was that meditation program that was supposed to keep your mind sharp... but mostly just kept you checking the clock every 30 seconds.

Here's the thing though...

Sandra's mistake wasn't trying to get healthy. And your past "failures" weren't really failures at all.

The real problem?

Until now.

In this chapter, I'm going to show you a completely different approach to setting health goals. One that's specifically designed for smart people who:

• Want to stay vibrant and independent (without killing themselves at Boomer Bootcamp)

• Are tired of "one-size-fits-all" advice that doesn't fit their life

• Know they need to make changes (but don't want to give up everything they enjoy)

But before I share this framework with you, let's address the elephant in the room...

Those well-meaning health articles that tell you to "dream big!" and "shoot for the stars!"?

They're setting you up for failure.

And I can prove it with a quick story from one of my clients, Barbara.

Barbara came to me determined to "get in shape." Her goal? To run a marathon... even though she hadn't exercised since her youngest graduated college (15 years ago).

"That's what my doctor said - set big goals!" she told me.

I asked her one simple question:

"Barbara, would you tell a kindergartener to start their education by taking a college calculus exam?"

She laughed. "Of course not! That's ridiculous."

"Then why," I asked, "are you trying to start your health journey with the equivalent of a calculus exam for your body?"

That's when it clicked for her.

And this brings us to the first principle of setting realistic health goals:

The “Three S” Framework

1. Small - So small you almost laugh

2. Specific - No vague "get healthy" nonsense

3. Stackable - Each success builds on the last

Let me break these down...

SMALL: Instead of "I'm going to walk 5 miles every day," try "I'm going to walk to my mailbox and back after lunch."

Sounds too easy, right? That's exactly the point.

Because here's what happens when you start with something so small it's almost impossible to fail:

• You actually do it

• Your confidence grows

• You naturally want to do more

• Your body adapts gradually

• Most importantly - you stick with it

SPECIFIC: "I want to eat healthier" is not a goal. It's a wish.

But "I will add one serving of vegetables to my dinner" is specific. It's measurable. You know exactly what success looks like.

STACKABLE: This is where the magic happens.

Once you've mastered walking to the mailbox for two weeks straight, maybe you add walking to the neighbor's mailbox.

Once you've consistently added vegetables to dinner, maybe you add them to lunch too.

Each new goal builds on your previous success. No giant leaps. No shocking your system. Just steady, consistent progress.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking...

"But I don't have time to wait! I need to get healthy NOW!"

Let me ask you something...

How many times have you tried the "all or nothing" approach?
How many crash diets?
How many exercise programs you quit after two weeks?

The truth is, you don't lack willpower. You've just been using the wrong strategy.

Here's a simple exercise to get you started:

1. Take out a piece of paper (or you can use our Tiny Wins Health Tracker)

2. Write down ONE health goal you'd like to achieve (yes, right now)

3. Now make it smaller. Then smaller again. Keep going until it feels almost too easy

4. Write down exactly when and where you'll do it

5. Do it for two weeks straight before adding anything else

For example:

Original goal: "Exercise more"
↓
Smaller: "Walk 30 minutes daily"
↓
Smaller: "Walk around the block"
↓
Even smaller: "Put on walking shoes and step outside"

The secret? Once you're outside with your walking shoes on, you'll probably walk anyway. But removing the pressure makes it feel doable.

Remember Sandra from the beginning of this chapter?

She eventually did get healthy. But not from boot camp.

She started by standing up during every commercial break while watching her favorite shows.

That's it. That was her first goal.

Three months later, she was doing gentle yoga twice a week and walking with her neighbor every morning.

Six months later, her doctor was amazed at her improved blood pressure and balance.

And not once did she have to do a burpee.

Because here's the truth about setting health goals after 60:

It's not about dramatic transformations.
It's not about suffering.
It's not about keeping up with the thirty-somethings.

It's about making small, smart changes that stick.

The "But What About..." Section
(Because I Know You Have Questions)

I can almost hear some of you protesting...

Let's talk about what I call the "Triple T Traps" - the things that torpedo most people's health goals:

1. The Technology Trap

2. The Time Trap

3. The Tracking Trap

The Technology Trap:
Listen, I love that your grandkids want you to use their fancy fitness apps. And those smart watches are pretty amazing.

But here's what nobody tells you:

The fanciest technology in the world can't beat a simple notebook and pencil if that's what you'll actually use.

Martha, another client of mine, spent $300 on a fitness watch her son insisted would "change everything."

Know where it is now? In her drawer, next to the pedometer from 2012 and the "revolutionary" diet calculator from 2015.

What does Martha use instead?

A simple calendar on her fridge where she puts a star sticker every day she does her "commercial break stands."

Simple? Yes.
Working? Absolutely.

The Time Trap:
"I'll start when things calm down..."
"After the grandkids' visit..."
"Once the holidays are over..."

Here's the brutal truth: There will never be a perfect time.

Never.

That's why our "Three S" goals are so important. They fit into your life NOW, not some imaginary future when everything is perfect.

Remember: Five minutes of something beats zero minutes of everything.

The Tracking Trap:
Quick story...

Jean (another client) came to me completely stressed out. She was tracking:
• Every calorie
• Every step
• Every minute of sleep
• Every ounce of water
• Every vitamin
• Every heart rate fluctuation

She had spreadsheets. Apps. Charts.

And she was miserable.

Want to know what happened when we simplified to tracking just ONE thing for two weeks?

Her blood pressure dropped. Her sleep improved. And for the first time in years, she actually enjoyed focusing on her health.

The Simple Success Tracking Method:

Instead of tracking everything, pick ONE thing to focus on for two weeks. Just one.

Here's how:

1. Get a regular calendar (or use your current one)

2. Pick your ONE small goal

3. Every day you do it, put a ✓ or a sticker or whatever makes you smile

4. After two weeks of consistent ✓'s, you can add ONE more thing

That's it.

No apps.
No complications.
No overwhelm.

"But what should I track first?"

Glad you asked. Here's a menu of "starter goals" to choose from:

Gentle Movement Goals:
• Stand during one commercial break
• Walk to get your mail
• Stretch while coffee brews
• Chair exercises during the news

Nutrition Goals:
• Drink one extra glass of water before noon
• Add one vegetable to dinner
• Eat sitting down (no standing at the counter)
• Use a smaller plate at one meal

Brain Health Goals:
• Do one crossword puzzle clue
• Learn one new word
• Call one friend
• Try one new route to the grocery store

Remember: Pick ONE. Make it small. Track it simply.

The "What If I Mess Up?" Section
(Because We All Do)

Let me tell you about my friend Ruth.

Ruth was on a 43-day streak of her morning stretches. She was feeling proud. Confident. Unstoppable.

Then her daughter's family visited for a week.

Between the chaos of entertaining grandkids, making everyone's favorite meals, and staying up late playing cards...

She completely forgot about her stretches.

When they left, Ruth called me in tears.

"I ruined everything," she said. "I might as well give up."

That's when I shared with her what I call...

The 24-Hour Rule

Here it is: You can't mess up by more than 24 hours.

Think about it...

If you miss a day, you haven't failed.
You've just taken a 24-hour pause.

The only way to actually fail is to let that 24-hour pause turn into a permanent stop.

Which brings us to...

The Comeback Calendar

Instead of beating yourself up when you miss a day, use this simple system:

1. Circle the day you missed on your calendar

2. Write one sentence about why (be honest but kind)

3. Put a big arrow pointing to the next day

4. Show up tomorrow like nothing happened

Because here's the truth about health goals after 60:

It's not about being perfect.
It's about being consistent most of the time.

Think of it like watching your favorite TV show...

Missing one episode doesn't mean you stop watching the whole series, right?

You just catch the next one.

“But What About Motivation?”

Can I be brutally honest?

Motivation is overrated.

You don't need motivation to brush your teeth.
You don't need motivation to get the mail.
You don't need motivation to watch your favorite show.

You just do these things because they're part of your routine.

That's the secret sauce: Making your health goals as automatic as brushing your teeth.

How?

The "Habit Stack" Method:

1. Pick something you ALREADY do every day (like making coffee)

2. Add your small health goal RIGHT after it

3. Keep them connected

For example:

• After I turn on the coffee maker, I do 2 stretches
• After I get the mail, I walk to one more mailbox
• After I watch the news, I do 3 chair stands
• After I wash my dinner dish, I fill my water bottle for tomorrow

See how each health action is "stacked" onto something you're already doing?

No motivation needed.

Your Final Assignment:

1. Pick ONE small goal from our earlier menu (or create your own tiny goal)

2. Find ONE daily activity to stack it with

3. Get ONE calendar or notebook for tracking

4. Give yourself ONE promise: The 24-Hour Rule

Remember Sandra from the beginning of our chapter?

She never did go back to that boot camp.

Instead, she started with standing during commercials.
Then added some chair exercises.
Then short walks.
Then...

Well, last month she sent me a photo of her playing tag with her grandkids.

"Never felt better," she wrote. "And I didn't have to kill myself to get here."

That's what smart health goals look like.

Not dramatic transformations.
Not overnight miracles.
Just small, smart steps that add up to big changes.

Because the best health goal?

Is the one you'll actually do.

Need a little help?? Get The Tiny Wins Health Tracker: Your Blueprint For Lasting Habits by clicking the button!

“You don't have to become an athlete. You just have to become a slightly better version of yourself. One small step at a time.”