# Reviewing and adjusting goals > Look back at your goals at the end of each week or month, and change them to fit how things are going rather than giving up. Goals that adjust to your recent activity tend to work better than a fixed target, and a smaller week still counts as progress. - Type: Guide - Topic: Habits & Motivation › Goals & Progress - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/reviewing-and-adjusting-goals - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Review on a regular rhythm:** a short look back at the end of each week or month is a practical way to set the next period's goal [1]. - **Track daily, simply:** a quick record of what you did, on paper if you prefer, makes each review easier [2]. - **Let goals adjust to you:** goals that adapt to your recent activity tend to work better than a fixed target such as 10,000 steps [3]. - **A smaller week is progress, not failure:** missing a goal can lower mood and motivation, even when you are more active than before [4]. ## How often should you review your goals? A short review at the end of each week or month is a sensible rhythm, with simple tracking in between. No single best interval has been shown, so choose one you will actually keep. Goals work best when they are looked at again and changed regularly, not set once and left [5]. A practical way to do this is to sit down at the end of each week or month and set your goals for the next period [1]. - **Treat anything new as a one-week trial.** Try a new activity for a week, then stretch to a month or longer as you get better at managing it [2]. - **Keep a daily record.** Checking in on yourself each day gives you a better chance of changing behaviour, and it helps to make review part of your routine [2]. Tracking your own activity and getting feedback also help goals work; feedback is most useful when it is timely, personal and non-punitive [4]. - **Ask three questions at each review:** should I carry on as I am, change how I go about it, or adjust the goal? Keep the tone kind and curious, not critical [2]. - **Consider sharing your plan** with someone you trust or with your health professional [1]. > **Try this:** At the end of this week, write down what you did. Then decide: carry on, change how you go about it, or adjust the goal. ## Why do flexible goals work better? Goals that adapt to your recent results tend to work better than a fixed target, because a fixed target ignores how much your activity changes from one stretch to the next [3]. A fixed 10,000-step goal tends to lift activity at first, then activity falls away; goals that adjust hold up better [3]. Two likely reasons, though neither is proven: - **Activity varies.** It changes a lot from day to day, and some people change quickly while others change slowly [3]. - **Goals that are too hard can feel like failure.** Missing a goal can lower mood, self-esteem and motivation, even when you have become more active [4]. Aiming at things such as losing weight as fast as possible may lead to frustration and giving up [5]. A goal also doesn't have to be exact. Looser goals give graded results rather than all-or-nothing ones, which may help you avoid feeling like a failure [4]. Adjusting goals over time may also help when keeping going gets harder after many months [6]. How to use this: - If a goal keeps feeling too hard, make it smaller rather than giving up. If you meet it easily week after week, consider raising it a little. - Count a smaller week as progress, not failure. - After a missed day or week, change the timing or the approach and carry on, rather than dropping the goal. - Start with small amounts of activity and build up gradually. If pain or fatigue from a long-term condition makes it harder to keep going, adjust your goals rather than pushing through [5]. Pain during activity is a signal to stop or ease off. ## When to check with a health professional If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. If you live with a long-term condition such as diabetes, ask how to build up safely, and begin with small amounts. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. A sore muscle or joint, or soreness a day or two later, means ease off; see a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. If thoughts of self-harm come up, contact a local crisis line (findahelpline.com lists free services in every country), or your local emergency number if you are in immediate danger. ## Quick answers ### What should I do if I keep missing my goal? Make the goal smaller rather than giving up on it. You can also change the timing or the way you go about it. Count a smaller week as progress, not failure, and carry on. A goal that fits your life is easier to keep than one that feels out of reach. ### When is it time to raise my goal? If you meet your goal easily week after week, consider raising it a little. Build up one thing at a time: how often you are active, how hard, or how long. Start with small amounts and increase gradually, so each step still feels manageable. ### Is it okay to take a break and start again? Yes. After a missed day or week, change the timing or the approach and carry on, rather than dropping the goal. A break is not a reason to feel guilty. Starting again at a smaller amount is a sensible way back, and a smaller week still counts. ### Should I share my goals with someone? It can help. Consider sharing your plan with someone you trust, such as a friend or family member, and with your health professional. They can check in with you at your regular review and help you decide whether to carry on, change your approach or adjust the goal. ## Sources 1. Moving Medicine. Creating an Action Plan. https://movingmedicine.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/Action-Planning.pdf 2. Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach. Your Personal Plan: Frequency. https://anxietycoach.mayoclinic.org/depression-coach/your-personal-plan-frequency/ 3. Adams MA et al. (2017). Adaptive goal setting and financial incentives: a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial to increase adults' physical activity. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4197-8 4. Swann C et al. (2026). Goal Setting in Exercise and Physical Activity: An Expert Statement on Behalf of Exercise and Sports Science Australia. Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02373-5 5. Collado-Mateo D et al. (2021). Key Factors Associated with Adherence to Physical Exercise in Patients with Chronic Diseases and Older Adults: An Umbrella Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042023 6. Adams MA et al. (2022). Adaptive Goals and Reinforcement Timing to Increase Physical Activity in Adults: A Factorial Randomized Trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.09.014 --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/reviewing-and-adjusting-goals). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.