Lesson 1: Making and Continuing Change: A Personal Investment

Introduction
This lesson is a review of the learning that took place in Grade 11 Active Healthy
Lifestyles. Students spend some time reviewing the Stages of Change model (as outlined
by Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente) and the strategies they can employ to move
from one stage to the next on the continuum of change. Since goal setting is such a critical
component of the change strategies, a review of goal setting is also included. In Grade 12
students have an opportunity to set goals and decide on how to achieve them with a
higher level of sophistication than they did in Grade 11.
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Specific Learning Outcomes

12.FM.1 Examine the goal-setting process as a means of improving physical fitness

and/or health behaviours.
12.FM.2 Identify, implement, and revise personal goals for healthy lifestyle practices,
including physical activity participation.
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Key Understandings

 Individuals can change health-related behaviours such as physical activity within

their lifestyle.
 Strategies for ongoing physical activity engagement and fitness development are
personal.
 Success in achieving positive health behaviours is rooted in effective goal setting
based on the Stages of Change continuum.
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Essential Questions

1. Why do goals need to change over time?

2. How can effective goal setting increase success in changing health-related behaviours?
3. What are the steps to, or reasons for, goal setting?
4. How can physical fitness and health-related behaviours be improved within a person’s
lifestyle?
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 Background Information

Personal Reflections on the Stages of Change

Many people decide to make changes in their lives to improve their health, increase their
income, develop meaningful relationships, and so on. People’s attempts to achieve change
often fail because they have not thought carefully about, or taken the time to work
through, the stages of change.

When setting goals, it is important to have a clear understanding of our starting point or
current situation. The next suggested learning strategy provides students with an
opportunity to think about changes they have made in their healthy lifestyle practices
since their Grade 11 school year.
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Suggestion for Instruction / Assessment

Review and Reflect on Physical Activity

NOTE TO TEACHER
Have each student reflect on physical activity
It is important that students feel
experiences by completing RM 1–FM. Once comfortable and are willing to share
students have completed the questionnaire, invite their personal reflections. They should
them to share some of their reflective comments. not feel as though they are forced to
A general class discussion could facilitate disclose personal thoughts or feelings.
thinking about the various stages of change and This questionnaire could also be used
what students did to make their Grade 11 as an interview guide in individual or
personal physical activity plan successful. small-group student-teacher
conferences.

Refer to RM 1–FM: Physical Activity Review and Reflection Questionnaire.

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Background Information

Stages of Change Review

NOTE TO TEACHER
In the Grade 11 Active Healthy Lifestyles course
students gained an understanding of the Stages of Understanding what stage of change
a student is at will help teachers
Change model (Prochaska, Norcross, and
guide the student in developing
DiClemente), which identifies five stages through personal goals and plans. Be
which individuals move to make a lasting attitude considerate of students’ individual
and behaviour change. As people move along the stages when helping them to set
continuum of change, they engage in specific goals and develop their personal
processes at each of the five stages of change: physical activity plan.

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 1. Pre-contemplation (no intention of making a change): In this stage people begin to
recognize that a problematic behaviour exists. At this point, they may engage in self-
evaluation or self-reflection and may determine that a change is needed. When this
happens, they will progress to the contemplation stage.
2. Contemplation (thinking about making a change): In this stage people seek out
information about the problematic behaviour and become more aware of the possible
problems associated with it. They will speak to others about the problem and discuss
or think about possible solutions. These individuals are now ready to move to the
preparation stage.
3. Preparation/decision (getting ready to make a change): In this stage people make a
commitment to change the problematic behaviour, believing they can make the
change. They have become knowledgeable about how to go about making the
behaviour change and about the benefits resulting from it. They devise a plan for
practising the new behaviour. These people are ready to move to the action stage.
4. Action (making the change): People in this stage initiate their plan for making a
behaviour change. They find ways to stay motivated, which may include seeking
support from others. They attempt to control the triggers of the problematic behaviour
and give themselves ways to stay focused on the healthy behaviour. The new
behaviour will begin to substitute the unhealthy behaviour. Some people may
incorporate a personal reward program for sticking with the action plan.
5. Maintenance (working at keeping the change): In this stage people’s actions are
similar to those in the action stage, but people are engaged in the new behaviour for a
minimum of six months. During this stage people are focused on staying on their
action plan and not going back to their previous behaviour.

REFERENCES
For additional information, refer to the following resources:
Prochaska, James O., John C. Norcross, and Carlo C. DiClemente. Changing for Good: A
Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life
Positively Forward. New York, NY: Avon Books Inc., 1994.
Spencer, Leslie, Troy B. Adams, Sarah Malone, Lindsey Roy, and Elizabeth Yost. “Applying
the Transtheoretical Model to Exercise: A Systematic and Comprehensive Review of the
Literature.” Health Promotion Practice 7.4 (Oct. 2006): 428–43.

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 Suggestion for Instruction / Assessment

Strategies for Change

In preparation for this task, students may need to revisit or complete RM 1–FM: Physical
Activity Stages of Change—Questionnaire, found in Grade 11 Active Healthy Lifestyles (see
Module B, Lesson 2, page 119).

To help students achieve a deeper understanding of

the Stages of Change continuum and of the strategies NOTE TO TEACHER
that will help them advance from one stage to the next
Students should complete this
in their physical activity behaviour, have them work
ongoing assignment as they
through RM 2–FM. By completing the questions progress through the Grade 12
related to their current stage of change, as well as the Active Healthy Lifestyles course.
preceding stage(s), and by applying the strategies for Be consistent with the
moving to the next stage, they will set a course for terminology used in Grade 11.
achieving an active healthy lifestyle.

Refer to RM 2–FM: Strategies for Change.

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Background Information

Goal Setting

Setting goals is one of the most important and powerful strategies for achieving the things
we want in our lives. If a group of people were asked to write down their top five goals in
life, many of them would likely write “good health.” We all know that good health does
not just happen. Achieving and maintaining good health is dependent upon a variety of
factors.
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Suggestion for Instruction / Assessment

Behaviours Affecting Health

As a brief review, have students use the Think-Pair-Share strategy (see Appendix E) to
identify and discuss behaviours they can practise every day to help them improve or
maintain their personal health. Working in pairs, students identify the behaviours that
would have the greatest long-term impact on health and share them with the class.
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 Background Information

Why Set Goals?*

Numerous research studies have shown links between goals and achievement or
improved performance in many areas such as education, athletics, and business. Reasons
for setting goals include the following:
 Goals help target our desires. We all have a desire to succeed at or with
something. This desire to succeed helps us to reach our goals and overcome obstacles
that get in the way. We feel better and work harder when we are striving to reach clear
goals that we have personally selected and that have an identifiable purpose.
 Goals help us to stay focused and avoid distractions. People who set goals will
achieve results because they have learned how to focus their time, energy, and
resources on a specific objective. Staying focused on our goals helps us to bypass many
of the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the desired results.
By setting clear and attainable goals and consciously working toward them, we can
avoid many of the pitfalls and distractions of daily living.
 Goals help us to maintain motivation. Motivation is a significant driving force in
helping us to accomplish the things we really want in life. Achieving and maintaining
a healthy active lifestyle will at times be a struggle. Having goals and staying
motivated will help us to recover from the setbacks or periodic letdowns that are
commonplace experiences when trying to change a habit or making attempts to start a
new one. Our motivation will come from the reasons why we chose particular goals in
the first place.
 Goals help us to set values-driven priorities. As we move toward any goal, we
will be faced with having to make decisions. By keeping our eyes on the goal and
staying true to our values and beliefs, we will make the “right” choices. Our choices
will be based on what is most important to us. We need to remember that our goals
were self-selected and based on important reasons for reaching them.
 Goals provide a plan for change. A well-designed action plan that outlines a
series of short-term goals provides a necessary process to reach bigger and long-term
objectives. Breaking a long-term goal into achievable smaller steps makes the road to
the ultimate goal much easier. Short-term goals provide a way of measuring whether
we are making the intended progress or whether we are getting sidetracked.
Evaluating our plan allows us to learn from mistakes and overcome barriers. It also
provides opportunities to change our plan based on our experiences.
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* Source: Time Thoughts. “Goal Setting: Why Should I Set Goals?” Goal Setting.
<www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/WhySetGoals.htm>. Adapted with permission.

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 Why Do So Few People Set Goals?*

Some experts estimate that only five to ten percent of people think about their goals
regularly, and only one to three percent of people have clear written goals. Most experts
agree that goal setting is a powerful tool. If this is the case, why do so few people set
goals?

Reasons why people don’t set goals include the following:

 They don’t know what they want. (No goals)
 They don’t know how to set goals or don’t plan how to achieve them. (Action)
 They don’t have goals, they have wishes.
 They are afraid of change.
 They make excuses that form personal barriers.
 They get frustrated, discouraged, or overwhelmed. (Too many goals, too big, too
slow)

Having clear and precise goals will help us stay motivated and focused, particularly when
facing adversity. Setting goals is a way of regulating behaviour to attain a self-determined
and desired target. The goals could be financial, educational, or health- and fitness-
oriented.

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* Source: Time Thoughts. “Goal Setting: Why Should I Set Goals?” Goal Setting.
<www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/WhySetGoals.htm>. Adapted with permission.

Steps to Setting and Achieving Goals

Many people set goals they want to achieve. Some of these goals centre on acquiring
material things (e.g., a car, a winter vacation). Some goals involve doing or learning new
things (e.g., write a book, paint a picture, learn a new sport). Still other goals have to do
with self-improvement (e.g., exercise regularly, get a different job, eat healthier). These are
all great goals, but many people never reach them because they have not considered
making a specific plan to achieve them.

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 Six steps that can help students set and achieve their goals are identified below.

STEPS TO SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS

1. Choose specific, measurable goals. Decide on your goals and base them on reasons that are
meaningful and important to you. Be as specific as you can about what you want to accomplish.
Instead of wanting to eat healthier, specify the things that you want to change in your eating
behaviour (e.g., eat seven to ten servings of fruit and vegetables daily). This way, you know
exactly what you need to change and by how much. You have now made your goal measurable.
2. Set achievable goals. Break down your goals into achievable smaller goals, thus progressing
toward your final goal in stages. This is one way to build in a gradual process to achieve the
ultimate goal. The stages can serve as checkpoints for you to see how you are progressing and
whether the smaller goals need to be reset. When you know whether you have exceeded your
expectations or are beginning to fall behind, you can make the necessary adjustments. When
working on changing physical activity patterns it is important to keep a log or a record of your
activities.
3. Evaluate your goals to ensure they are realistic. Setting an unrealistic goal that is not
based on current conditions or circumstances is counterproductive to achieving a goal. Setting
high goals is important, but if the goals are not realistic they will eventually be perceived as
unattainable, and progress toward reaching the goals will cease. Seek out people who can
support you in reaching your goals and use the needed resources available to you.
4. Create a timeline for and visual reminders of your goals. A goal is simply a stated dream
with a deadline. Establish a timeline for the goals you set. The timeline may be influenced by the
smaller goals that you have set for yourself. It is very important to set a particular timeframe for
each goal. This will keep you focused on the actions you set for yourself and provide you with a
way to assess your progress in terms of achieving the goal. Create visual reminders of your
goals and place them where you will see them every day. Keep in mind that your reasons for
choosing your goals were important to you, and moved you to devise a plan to accomplish them.
5. Prepare yourself for obstacles or barriers. The obstacles you face while working toward
your goals may be emotional. For example, you may feel frustrated that people are not
supporting you. You may feel discouraged that the expected changes are not happening quickly
enough. Feelings of frustration or discouragement are natural reactions. Adjusting the small
goals may help ease the emotional reaction. It is important to stay committed to your goals and
not to lose hope.
6. Reward yourself. As you achieve each small goal, reward yourself in some way for a job well
done.

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Suggestion for Instruction / Assessment

Steps to Goal Setting

Provide students with a copy of RM 3–FM and ask

NOTE TO TEACHER
them to write down their goals (e.g., related to physical
activity, fitness, and healthy eating) and devise an This is an ongoing assignment and
action plan to achieve them. They should take time to should be considered as a required
work sample. Students will return
reflect on each step and then proceed to write down
to this action plan periodically and
the actions they will take to accomplish each goal. assess their progress in meeting
their stated goals, making
Refer to RM 3–FM: Steps revisions as required.
to Goal Setting.

Students may use RM 4–FM as a tool for tracking their progress in reaching their goals.

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 Refer to RM 4–FM: Goal Manager (available only in Excel format).

The Excel spreadsheet is available on the CD-ROM version of this document, as

well as online at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/curriculum.html>.

NOTE TO TEACHER
Physical Activity Practicum
Students in Grade 12 are required to complete a minimum of 55 hours of moderate to vigorous
physical activity. The physical activity practicum should reflect each student’s personal physical activity
or fitness goals. Determining requirements for the completion of the Grade 12 physical activity
practicum and/or the physical activity plan is a local decision. Schools may choose to add other criteria
that demonstrate regular activity participation (e.g., variety of physical activities, the addition of a new
physical activity, activities that the student will choose to do when leaving high school).

REFERENCES
For more information on goal setting, refer to the following websites:
Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association (MPETA). “Goal Setting: Personal Plan.”
MPETA Resources to Support the Grades 11 and 12 Curriculum.
<www.mpeta.ca/resources.html>.
Time Thoughts. “Goal Setting: Why Should I Set Goals?” Goal Setting.
<www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/WhySetGoals.htm>.
For website updates, please visit Websites to Support the Grades 11 and 12 Curriculum at
<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.

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