Setting your first wellness goals

Effective goal-setting is crucial for your wellness journey. Here's how to set goals that motivate and guide you.

Why goals matter

Well-defined goals provide:

• Direction - Know what you're working toward
• Motivation - Stay engaged in your journey
• Measurement - Track meaningful progress
• Accountability - Commit to positive change
• Clarity - Prioritize what matters most

The SMART framework

Kivly uses the SMART framework for effective goals:

Specific

Vague: "I want to be healthier" Specific: "I want to practice mindfulness for 10 minutes daily"

Measurable

Not measurable: "Sleep better" Measurable: "Sleep 7-8 hours on weeknights"

Achievable

Too ambitious: "Go from couch to marathon in 2 months" Achievable: "Build up to running 3 miles within 3 months"

Relevant

Misaligned: Forcing gym workouts when you prefer nature Relevant: Hiking 30 minutes 3x/week (if you love outdoors)

Time-bound

Open-ended: "Reduce stress someday" Time-bound: "Practice stress management techniques daily for next 6 weeks"

Choosing your focus areas

Primary wellness dimensions:

Physical Health

• Increase daily movement
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Enhance flexibility
• Build strength
• Optimize nutrition

Mental Wellbeing

• Manage stress effectively
• Improve emotional regulation
• Build resilience
• Develop positive mindset
• Practice gratitude

Sleep Quality

• Establish consistent sleep schedule
• Improve sleep hygiene
• Increase sleep duration
• Enhance sleep quality
• Reduce nighttime awakenings

Mindfulness

• Develop daily meditation practice
• Increase present-moment awareness
• Practice mindful breathing
• Reduce reactivity
• Cultivate compassion

Social Connection

• Strengthen relationships
• Build community
• Improve communication
• Expand support network
• Practice active listening

Life Purpose

• Align actions with values
• Clarify personal mission
• Set meaningful priorities
• Pursue passions
• Contribute to others

How many goals to set

Recommended approach:

• 1 primary goal - Your main focus
• 2-3 supporting goals - Complement the primary
• Total: 3-4 goals maximum

Why limit goals? Too many goals leads to:

• Diluted focus
• Overwhelm
• Inconsistent effort
• Lower success rates
• Burnout

Start small, add gradually:

• Month 1: 1 goal
• Month 2: Add 1 more if feeling confident
• Month 3+: Maximum 3-4 concurrent goals

Setting goals in Kivly

Step 1: Access goal setting

1. Open Kivly app
2. Go to Profile → My Goals
3. Tap Set New Goal

Step 2: Choose your dimension

Select from:

• Physical Wellness
• Mental Wellbeing
• Sleep
• Mindfulness
• Nutrition
• Social Connection
• Life Purpose

Step 3: Select goal type

Habit goals: Build consistent practices

• "Meditate 10 min daily"
• "Walk 8000 steps/day"
• "Journal 3x/week"

Outcome goals: Achieve specific results

• "Complete 30-day mindfulness challenge"
• "Reduce stress score from 7 to 4"
• "Sleep 7+ hours nightly for 1 month"

Milestone goals: Work toward significant achievements

• "Complete wellness assessment quarterly"
• "Attend 12 community events this year"
• "Try 20 new wellness activities"

Step 4: Define the details

Goal name: Clear, specific title

Target metric: What you'll measure

• Frequency (daily, 3x/week, etc.)
• Duration (10 minutes, 30 minutes)
• Quantity (8000 steps, 7 hours)

Timeline: When you'll achieve it

• 30 days (short-term)
• 90 days (medium-term)
• 6-12 months (long-term)

Why it matters: Your personal motivation

• Connect to deeper values
• Explain the "why"
• Make it meaningful

Step 5: Set up tracking

How Kivly tracks:

• Automatic (from wearables or app activities)
• Manual check-ins
• Self-reported data
• Combination approach

Reminder settings:

• Daily notification time
• Frequency
• Message customization

Step 6: Review and commit

• Review all details
• Visualize success
• Commit mentally
• Tap Create Goal

Example wellness goals

Physical wellness

Beginner: "Complete 15 minutes of movement 5 days/week for 4 weeks" Intermediate: "Exercise 30 minutes daily for 90 days, mixing cardio and strength" Advanced: "Train for and complete a 10K run within 6 months"

Mindfulness

Beginner: "Practice 5-minute guided meditation 3 mornings/week for 1 month" Intermediate: "Meditate 15 minutes daily for 60 days" Advanced: "Complete 100-day meditation streak using varied techniques"

Sleep

Beginner: "In bed by 10:30 PM on weeknights for 3 weeks" Intermediate: "Achieve 7+ hours sleep 6 nights/week for 8 weeks" Advanced: "Optimize sleep quality to 85%+ score consistently for 90 days"

Stress management

Beginner: "Use breathing exercises when stressed for next 2 weeks" Intermediate: "Practice stress-reduction technique daily for 45 days" Advanced: "Reduce stress score from 8/10 to 5/10 within 12 weeks"

Tracking your progress

Daily check-ins:

• Mark goal as complete/incomplete
• Add notes about challenges
• Celebrate small wins
• Adjust as needed

Weekly reviews:

• See completion percentage
• Identify patterns
• Troubleshoot obstacles
• Plan for week ahead

Monthly assessments:

• Review overall progress
• Decide to continue, modify, or complete
• Set new goals or adjust existing
• Celebrate achievements

When goals need adjustment

Signs a goal needs modification:

• Consistently missing targets (< 50% success)
• No longer feels relevant
• Too easy (100% success without effort)
• Life circumstances changed
• Lost motivation or interest

How to adjust:

1. Go to My Goals
2. Select the goal
3. Tap Edit Goal
4. Modify:
   • Target (make easier or harder)
   • Timeline (extend or shorten)
   • Frequency (more or less often)
   • Tracking method
5. Save changes

When to abandon a goal:

• Circumstances made it impossible
• No longer aligns with values
• Different priority emerged
• Achieved the underlying need differently

It's okay to adjust or stop! Goals should serve you, not stress you.

Celebrating achievements

When you hit milestones:

• 25% complete - Small win badge
• 50% complete - Halfway celebration
• 75% complete - Almost there encouragement
• 100% complete - Achievement unlocked!

Ways to celebrate:

• Share with Kivly community
• Treat yourself (non-food reward)
• Reflect on the journey
• Set a new, bigger goal
• Help someone else start

Goal-setting pitfalls to avoid

Too many goals: Spread too thin, burn out quickly.

Too ambitious: Setting yourself up for failure and discouragement.

Too vague: Can't measure progress or know when achieved.

Wrong "why": Goals based on others' expectations, not your values.

No tracking: Can't see progress, lose motivation.

All-or-nothing thinking: One miss doesn't mean failure. Get back on track.

What's next?

• Understanding wellness program
• Tracking progress
• Joining challenges
• Building habits