A Goal Menu is a rank-ordered list of all the different activities that one can do in order to reach a goal.
Goal Menus can be used for any area of life.
Health Menu
If a person is looking to become healthier, they can create a Goal Menu for that purpose. Using either The SPARK Method or the Behavioral Strategy process, they can come up with a large list of behaviors that will move them closer to their goal that also score highly across The 4 Es:
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Effective
Is the activity effective at moving you closer to your goal?
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Easy
Is the activity easy for you to do? Is it something you already know how to do or do you need to learn? Is this something you can easily do given your home and work environments? Your social environment?
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Enjoyable
Do you like doing it? Is it fun?
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Exciting
Are you drawn to this activity? Do you just get excited thinking about it?
If you create a large list of behaviors that move you closer to your goal, and then figure out which ones get you there effectively, easily, and enjoyably, you’re in a good place. All you have to do to reach your goal is look at your list every day or two and do the behavior(s) that you’re in the mood for. Don’t worry about whether the behavior is sustainable or whether you want to form a habit around it. Just do the behavior that is most exciting to you at that moment.
Fitness Menu
If a person is more specifically looking to increase their fitness, they can come up with a Fitness Menu. The Goal Menu in this case would consist of behaviors that accomplish the person’s fitness goal and also align with The 4 Es. For example:
- 15 minutes of HIIT intervals
- Pick-up soccer at the park
- Tennis match with wife
- Bike ride around the neighborhood
Money Menu
As mentioned earlier, a Goal Menu can be used for any purpose. If you want to make more money, you can go through the same process. The list of behaviors you’d create would consist of things that are financially valuable (effective) that you’re good at (easy), and that you also enjoy and are excited by. For example, my Money Menu would consist of things like:
- Write an article on personal transformation or habit formation
- Write a guide on behavioral science and business
- Record a lesson on applied behavioral science
- Record a lesson on UX design
- Etc.
Each day I want to move towards my money goal, I can look at my list and pick the activity that calls to me most.
