‘Not enough time’. ‘Can’t find the energy’. ‘Just can’t stick with XYZ’.
Have you ever created a BIG goal for yourself, but all that you could see were the barriers in the way?
That’s where Design Thinking comes in. Design Thinking helps us to reconsider HOW we approach a problem.
A New Approach to Problem Solving
Let’s be real: we don’t solve problems using the same strategies that created them (including just ‘trying harder’). It can be frustrating when the strategies that you think should be working aren’t working: ‘Failure’ just allows us to know what hasn’t worked…so that we know that there is something better available to us or that we don’t have all of the pieces to our puzzle yet.
Long-term success requires a commitment to process & self-discovery.
Instead of just focusing on the BIG goal, design thinking focuses on:
- process
- self-experimentation
- discovering strengths
- re-evaluation
- strategic steps based on specific goals & health visions
Part of the opportunity and gift that you and I have right now is to create the version of wellness and nutritional wellbeing that leads us in the direction of our goals.
Once our goals are set, we can then begin to understand what our personal ‘ingredients for success’ are.
Applying the Design Thinking Approach
Let’s take the example of ‘getting rid of cravings’.
- Become clear on what the end goal looks like.
2. Identify factors that are promoting cravings.
3. Implement a plan to focus on those factors: the skills, knowledge, nutritional patterns or habits that we want to build, and which step(s) to begin with.
4. Build in opportunities to reflect on your progress, successes & challenges.
Critically, there are factors and steps in any journey that we are not even aware of until we are engaged in the journey. Working with a coach or professional helps to create a broader canvas for creating change, reframing failure & maintaining momentum.
So: what has been holding you back from reaching your goals? Could design thinking help?
If you’re interested in learning more about functional nutrition tools & strategies for reaching your health goals, reach out to a trained Integrative & Functional Dietitian through the IFNA Graduate Directory.