Published: 8 December, 2025 Living with diabetes means paying close attention to your health. But life is more than just managing your diabetes. It’s about living fully and confidently. One way to this is by setting goals and celebrating your achievements, big or small. Why set goals? Goals give you focus. They help you see the bigger picture and what’s important to you. They also make you feel more empowered about managing your day-to-day life. Setting goals and working towards them can help you create a sense of control and build your confidence as you reach each milestone. Life changes, and your goals may need to change too. That’s okay, adjusting doesn’t mean giving up. Long-term vs short-term goals Having long- and short-term goals gives you direction and keeps you motivated. Long-term goals act like a roadmap. They help you understand where you want to go, whether that’s changing your career, getting fit enough to play with your grandchildren, or writing that book. Short-term goals help break your big dreams into smaller, doable steps. For example, if your long-term goal is to improve your fitness so you can travel in 6 months’ time, your short-term goal may be to walk three times a week. Short-term goals help you track your progress and give you milestones to celebrate along the way. Creating goals that matter The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) webpage, Setting goals, has some helpful tips for creating meaningful goals and staying on track, such as: Make your goals your own. Choose goals that inspire you, spark hope, and feel achievable. Seek support. Health professionals can help, even if they’re not health-related. Team up. Ask your friends, family, and peers to help you set goals, stay accountable, or lift you up when motivation dips. Plan for diabetes. Factor in your diabetes management when setting your goals. If you’re finding it challenging to set goals, or you need help staying motivated, support is available from Medicare Mental Health and other support services. Celebrate your wins Take time to reflect on what you have achieved. Not everything will go to plan, and you may need to adjust your goals. Having both short-term and long-term goals means more opportunities to celebrate when things go well. Celebrate small wins by sharing them with family or friends, for big wins, plan a weekend away. Celebrating your wins helps build your self-awareness, confidence and motivation. Living with diabetes should not stop you from doing what you want to do. Set your goals today, and before long, you’ll be celebrating your achievements.
