Photo: Len Matthews, Flickr

 

The following is a guest post by Melanie Bowen, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog contributor. It is a perfect fit for Travel Bucket list Wednesday, as it reminds us that: 1) We should be thankful for our health, each and every day 2) To always thrive to accomplish one’s goals, no matter the circumstances. This is healthy for both the body and the mind.

Introduction: Mesothelioma and goal-setting to aid recovery

When dealing with a medical condition, focusing on what you wish to accomplish
is critical. Focusing on your goals and dreams takes you from where you are now
to where you eventually want to be. Regardless of whether you have
mesothelioma, heart disease or some other condition, regularly working with
your goals can make a big difference in your recovery. While your prognosis may
not seem desirable at the time, things can change for the better if you’re actively
working towards what you want to accomplish in life.

Keeping Track of Goals

Many people in life randomly want things without ever actually taking any action
towards getting them. Instead of making idle wishes, keep track of the goals that
you want to accomplish in life. Writing the goals down, keeping a spreadsheet or
even blogging about them can help you do this. It doesn’t matter how you
document the goals as long as they are documented. Once you write down the
goals, they start to become real, even if only in a theoretical sense. Taking the
initiative to document your goals can make a big difference in actually achieving
them at some point in the future.

Once you have written goals, it will help you overcome challenges and obstacles.
Patients who set goals find it easier to motivate themselves to work harder.
When walking the road to full recovery, engaging in organized thought and
planning can be extremely beneficial. As long as your mind is actively engaged
in achieving something, your path to recovery will be easier to follow. According
to Sacramento State University, goal setting is a worthy strategy to initiate
physical changes. What do you want to do? Where would you like to travel?
What activities are you interested in trying? What complimentary treatments are
there for one to start? It’s never too late to start thinking!

Types of Goals

When engaging in goal setting, it is important to have several different types of goals to work towards. When you are on the road to recovery, you should have some goals that relate to your condition. The ultimate goal is making a full recovery, but you should also have a few smaller goals along the way.

You should also have some goals of things unrelated to your condition that you would like to accomplish. These goals could be things like learning a new language, completing a degree program, starting a charity or something else.

You may also wish to create a list of unorthodox things that you would like to do
at some point in your life. For example, you may want to include things like sky
diving, snow skiing or visiting another country that you’ve never been to before.
Your imagination is the limit when setting these goals.

Considerations

After setting your goals, remind yourself of them often. Look at your list or use reminders on your smartphone or a computer to keep them in your thoughts. Goal setting can help you reach your dreams and aid in your recovery at the same time.

Click here for travel bucket list inspiration