Managing diabetes can be tough. Sometimes we start doing well, but then we lose track or forget why we were motivated. One way to stay motivated is by keeping track of your measurements and celebrating your progress. This helps you see how far you’ve come and keeps you focused on your goals. By doing this, you’ll find it easier to manage your diabetes and stay on a healthier path. 

Even though this can be easier said than done, defining your motivation for making healthy changes is the first step. Once you know what drives you, you can define your goal and the activities to help accomplish your goal. It’s important to set realistic goals and activities around that motivation. This way, you can celebrate little milestones along the way to optimal health. These “mini” celebrations remind us of our motivation and keep propelling us forward. 

Now that we know the process, let’s dig into how we can execute it! 

Find Your Why 

Think about why you want to manage your diabetes—this will be the foundation for your continued motivation. Maybe it’s to feel better, spend more time with your family, or reach certain health goals. These reasons are important and personal. Write them down and put them somewhere you can see often, like on your fridge, desk, or phone. Seeing these reminders will help you stay focused and motivated, even on tough days. Remember, these reasons are your driving force and can inspire you to keep going! 

Set Realistic Goals 

Setting both long-term and short-term goals that matter to you will be your next step. Long-term goals might include feeling happy with where you are in life, being comfortable in your own skin, reaching a specific HbA1c level, or losing a certain amount of weight. Your short-term goals will relate to your long-term goal. Think about daily activities that can help you with your long-term goal, like improving your sleep or planning your meals. The best way to make sure that your short-term goals set you on track for your long-term goal is through creating what is called SMART goals using the SMART method.  

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The SMART method is a way you can create clear and reachable objectives, making it easier to track your progress and stay motivated on your path to better health. You and your HealthCoach can use the SMART method to help define your goals that you would like to accomplish.  

For example, “I will walk 20 minutes around my neighborhood every day until the next time I meet with my HealthCoach.”  

SMART: 

• Specific: I will walk for 20 minutes. 

• Measurable: I will use a timer to track my walking time. 

• Achievable: I will walk around my neighborhood. 

• Relevant: Walking more is associated with improved A1c, which can be a long-term goal. 

• Time-bound: I will do this every day until the next time I meet with my HealthCoach. 

Add 2×2 Activities to Help Reach Your Goals 

Sometimes, we think we must do everything perfectly to be healthy. It’s great if you can go all out, but if you have struggled before, try using the SMART method with your HealthCoach to choose simple activities you can do to help reach your goals. Set up two health activities that you will do at least twice a week. This helps prevent burnout, especially when you are just starting out. There is a quote from John E. Doerr that says, “Measure what matters.” By tracking your 2×2 activities and checking in with your HealthCoach, you are doing just that—measuring what matters. This approach helps you stay consistent and build lasting habits. 

Celebrate Milestones 

To truly celebrate milestones, consistency is key. By regularly acknowledging the small victories, you build momentum that keeps you on track for larger goals. Think of the satisfaction that comes with maintaining stable blood sugar levels for a month, consistently completing your workouts, or waking up refreshed day after day. These milestones aren’t just about reaching an endpoint; they’re about recognizing the continuous effort you’ve invested in managing your diabetes and improving your health. Celebrate each one as a reflection of your steady commitment, and let these moments fuel your drive to keep progressing. Consistency in celebrating these wins will keep you motivated and remind you of the positive impact your efforts are having on your life. 

Examples of Milestones: 

• Increased Movement: Gradually increasing your daily steps or activity duration is associated with prevention of complications. A milestone here might be that you hit a certain number of steps every day for 1-2 weeks. 

• Better Sleep Quality: Milestones here could be something as simple as seeing your health care provider to determine the root cause of your sleep problems, or it could be that you could develop a good sleep hygiene routine. Consistently getting a good night’s sleep and feeling rested helps your body respond to insulin better. 

• Reduced Medication: Several factors play a role in this milestone. It may not be a milestone for everyone. Lowering the dosage or number of medications needed to manage your diabetes can be achievable under certain circumstances.  Always consult your doctor before starting, changing, or stopping any medications.  
• Stress Management: Developing effective strategies to manage stress can lead to achieving a stress management milestone. It is important to create a clear definition of what your milestone is here because it is not a lab draw or a measurement that someone else tells you. You must honestly evaluate yourself to see your progress.  One idea is to rate your overall stress levels on a scale from 1-10 every time you get your A1c drawn. Aim for reducing your stress levels by 1-2 points.  

Key Metrics to Track: 

• Blood Sugar Levels: Regularly check your blood sugar levels with your Tula glucometer to ensure they are within your target range. 

• Weight: Monitoring your weight can help you track progress towards your weight loss goals. Focusing on trends and not getting hung up on the number on the scale is important. Reminder: If the scale causes you more anxiety or discouragement than motivation, don’t weigh that often but have some other measurement like measuring inches and inch loss, or how well your clothes fit you. The scale is just a tool for feedback, awareness, and accountability. 

• Blood Pressure: Keeping an eye on your blood pressure is important as diabetes can increase the risk of hypertension. The easiest way to do this is using an at-home self-inflating blood pressure cuff. 
• Energy Levels: Pay attention and track your energy levels in your myTula app as a Tula Trackable. When you do this daily, you will start to become aware of the circumstances that boost your energy as well as what keeps you feeling groggy.  Consistent energy can indicate good diabetes management, while frequent fatigue might suggest the need for adjustments in your nutrition, body movement, or medication. 

Adjust Along the Way 

Keep an eye on your measurements to see patterns and find areas that might need changes. If your blood sugar levels are often high after meals, it could be a sign to tweak your nutrition, body movement, water intake, or medication with your doctor’s advice. Regularly checking and updating your plan with your healthcare team is super important to make sure it works well. Working together helps you stay on track and make smart choices about your health. 

In managing diabetes, the journey is just as important as the destination. By understanding your motivations, setting realistic goals, and celebrating each milestone, you’re not only making progress—you’re building a sustainable path to better health. Remember, the small steps you take today contribute to the larger successes of tomorrow. Stay consistent, track your progress, and adjust as needed, always keeping your “why” at the forefront. Your LIVE TULA team is here to support you every step of the way, ensuring that you’re never alone on this journey. Embrace the process, celebrate your achievements, and keep moving forward with confidence and determination. 

Sending Health Your Way!

The Tula Clinical Team 

Reviewed by: 
Austin MS, RDN, CSR, LDN, CD
Aubree RN, BSN