Episode 9: Behavior Goals, Emotional Goals, and Outcome Goals

20/08/2025 18 min

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Episode Synopsis

In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down the crucial differences between behavior goals, emotional goals, and outcome goals and why getting stuck on the wrong type can leave you frustrated and spinning your wheels. Whether you're a BCBA working with clients or someone looking to create more meaningful change in your own life, this episode will shift your perspective on what goals actually work and why focusing on what you can control makes all the difference.Resources MentionedCooper's ABA 101 - Dead Man's Test conceptACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) frameworkMagic Wand Exercise from ACTSeven Day Documentary exerciseValues-based living researchQuotes from This Episode"We have a lot of control over our own behavior, especially our overt behavior, but we have zero control over what the outcome of our behavior is going to be. And that is a very hard pill for us to swallow.""Most of our clients are gonna come to us and say, I wanna feel x, y, or z. Like I said, they wanna feel happy. They wanna feel relaxed. Typically, they or they might say, I wanna stop feeling a certain way.""Learning those psychological flexibility skills - you wanna think about this as actually learning a new skill as a behavioral goal.""Sometimes we get so focused on the outcome that when we don't reach the outcome, we think everything was a waste of time or a waste of energy, when in fact, we just didn't understand."Connect  with MBBBecome a Board Certified Health Coach:⁠https://mindbodybehavior.co/board-certified-health-coach⁠Mind Body Behavior 6th Edition Supervision Curriculum:⁠https://mindbodybehavior.co/curriculum⁠FREE CEUS: 32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program:⁠ https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/boardhealthcoach⁠BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD:⁠ ⁠⁠https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/bcbasupervision⁠ Email: [email protected] Social Media: @sarahburby @mindbodybehavioranalysts Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.