Succeed with your Goals

Remember those New Years resolutions you made. Have you kept any of them? Most likely not.

You made them with good intentions. But your follow through was lacking. New Years resolutions do not mean much if you can not carry them out.

I would guess that it is more than New Years resolutions that are not carried out. It is probably a lot of your resolutions that are not carried out.

How can you correct this? The first question is did you make too many resolutions? How about going with just one and working on that. It also must be specific. I want to loose weight is not specific. I want to loose 20 pounds is specific.

Once you have picked one specific task you need to dissect it. Break it down into daily steps. How can you go about losing 20 pounds? Diet and exercise would be a good way to go.

Now you know what you need to do. How will you do it? Will you join a gym, exercise class, outdoor exercise such as walking or will you do this at home? It can also be a combination of all three. Try to choose the one or ones that you are most likely to follow through with. If you know you will never be motivated to exercise at home do not pick that choice.

Next plan your exercise schedule. Yes you must schedule your exercise. It is best to schedule it for the same time each day. Also plan how long you will exercise. No matter how much time you plan for to start with consider that you will be upping the time in the next few weeks.

Next is the easy to say part but the hard to do part. Follow through. Start the exercise plan. If you miss a day ignore it. Continue with your schedule. Do not obsess about your progress. Focus on your schedule not the results. Keep going.

As for part two diet. This also must be a plan and a schedule. You must always plan ahead to keep on target. If you are invited out to eat check with the restaurant ahead of time what is on the menu. This way you can plan your meal. Keep planning for success not failure. Put the extra time and effort in to succeed.

Do not create a menu that will be excessively restrictive. If you must have chocolate allow yourself some chocolate. If you make your plan too rigid you will not succeed. This is how the best of intentions go awry.

If you slip keep going. Just forget about your slip. All a slip means it that it may take a little longer to reach your goal. Do not use a slip as way to stop what you are doing.

In summary, first you must establish a clear specific goal. Next you must plan daily how you will accomplish that goal. Make sure the plan is setting you up to succeed not fail.

Next you must schedule the activities you will do to achieve your goal.

Then you need to do them.

If the unexpected comes up plan around it. Do what you can to keep on your scheduled goal activities.

Ignore any slips. Keep going.

Remember to focus on your schedule, not your progress. If you keep on target progress will come.

If you think about this you will notice that you do this automatically already for the goals you reach.

Take your goals seriously. Take your schedule seriously. Focus on your efforts not the results. The results will come. Keep going.

Marcia, Your Confidence Coach

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