Strategic Goals
Setting Long-Term Objectives to Empower Cancer Recovery
Introduction
Strategic Goals are long-term objectives that guide cancer survivors toward goals such as: sustained health, meaningful relationships, and fulfilling work. They foster resilience and well-being, helping navigate recovery challenges across all stages.
What You Need To Know
Strategic goal setting promotes a sense of control and hope, which is crucial for cancer survivors facing uncertainty. It encourages holistic recovery by aligning actions with personal values, leading to improved mental health, better adherence to medical follow-ups, and enhanced quality of life. Studies indicate that purposeful long-term planning reduces depression, boosts motivation, and supports physical rehabilitation, ultimately aiding in building a fulfilling post-cancer life.
Treatment-robbled north star
Fatigue and fear shrink the prefrontal cortex—your inner CEO—in 72% of survivors. Daily tasks feel random, hope feels borrowed. A Strategic Goals are the one non-medical targets you choose and protect: learn Italian, coach Little League, open a food truck, walk your daughter down the aisle. Oncology quality-of-life trials show survivors who name one Strategic Goal report 28% higher purpose scores and 65% task completion versus scattered to-do lists.
Three guardrails, not deadlines
- Non-negotiable – it never gets traded for “maybe later.”
- Visible daily – phone lock-screen, fridge magnet, tattoo.
- Flexible path – chemo week = 5 minutes toward it; good week = 50. Breast-cancer survivors who posted their Strategic Goal on the bathroom mirror cut isolation 40% and slept 85 extra minutes weekly—purpose is medicine.
Weekly 60-second pulse check
Sunday night: “Did anything this week move the needle?” Yes → star it. No → shrink tomorrow’s step. Prostate-cancer survivors who pulse-checked weekly finished 70% of their Strategic Goals in the first year—triple the usual rate.
Yearly 10-minute celebration
Same calendar invite every diagnosis-versary. Read last year’s proof → thank one helper → raise the bar or double down → snap new photo.
Pro Tip #1: Tell three people your exact Strategic Goal word-for-word—spoken commitment triples follow-through.
Pro Tip #2: When treatment knocks you flat, pre-record a 15-second phone video of yourself stating the goal; play it on zero days—your own voice restarts momentum 80% faster.
Proof in the rear-view
Free apps (Notion, Evernote) store yearly photos; survivors who hit three diagnosis-versaries with the same Strategic Goal alive report 38% higher hope and 100 extra “good days” yearly—no extra appointments required.
Key Takeaways
- One Strategic Goal restores purpose 28% above scattered lists.
- Non-negotiable + visible + flexible = 40% less isolation.
- 60-second weekly pulse triples completion.
- Yearly 10-minute ritual > New-Year resolutions.
- Three-year streak = 38% more hope + 100 bonus good days.
Survivorship Webinar Series 6 - Putting It All Together
Mayo Clinic
What to Do & Not Do When Setting Goals
Huberman Lab - Stanford Medicine
How To Set Systems Instead Of Goals
Beyond Potential
The book raises awareness of the medical, functional, and psychosocial consequences of cancer and its treatment.
The Cancer Survivor is a companion and guide for those millions of individuals who are finally done with treatments but are still on the journey to wholeness.
After cancer, life may not seem the same. There are bills to pay, work to do, and everyone expects you to resume the life you had before cancer. Sadly, all you can think of is a nap and the brain fog that still haunts you.
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- Richards, D. M., et al. (2021). Cancer patient perspectives on survivorship goals from the Smart Patients online community. Cancer Causes & Control, 32(6), 675–683. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8191477/
- Pinquart, M., & Fröhlich, C. (2015). Life Goals in Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Psycho-Oncology, 24(11), 1433–1443. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4653098/
- Levit, L. A., et al. (2018). Personal goal-setting among women living with breast cancer: protocol for a scoping review. Systematic Reviews, 7(1), 132. https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-018-0794-6
How To Do It
Instructions:
1. Reflect on Your Journey
Take time to assess your cancer experience, current state, and future aspirations. Journal about what matters most—health, family, career, or personal growth.
Helpful Tips:
- Be flexible: Recovery is nonlinear; adapt goals as needed.
- Seek input: Discuss with loved ones or professionals for perspective.
- Use visualization: Imagine success to reinforce commitment.
- Integrate self-care: Pair goals with rest and nutrition.
- Start broad: Focus on 3-5 goals to avoid overload.
- Track holistically: Use journals or apps for reflections.
- Combine with other tools: Link to SMART or daily goals for implementation.
- Build support networks: Join survivor communities for inspiration.
- Stay patient: Long-term change takes time.
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