Set yourself up for success by setting goals

Hello again...


Ok so if you've read my last blog entry you'll know that mentally preparing yourself for this challenge is a key factor. Now let's move on to your first lesson...Goal Setting.
If you ever expect to do anything in life and succeed, you have to set goals. This is a basic principle in life. There are appropriate ways however, to set your goals just as there are inappropriate ways. Most people fall into one of 2 catorgories.



*Not setting goals*


If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we truly have a fear of failure. That's normal...no one wants to fail, but you can't allow that fear to cripple you. You must realize that only you can control your destiny. You can overcome any obstacle that happens your way.



Let me tell you why most people do not set goals for losing weight. In order to set a goal, I must first take an inventory of myself and realize where I am. Then, I must decide where I want to be. This is my goal. It's scary to realize this goal because, let's face it, we don't want to know where we are. We know we are overweight, but we really don't want to know just how overweight we are. Most people won't even get on the scale for this same reason, but what happens is that because you have failed to set at least one goal - even one small goal, you have nothing to measure your success by. You have nothing to challenge you to do more and in a sense, you have doomed yourself to fail before you have given yourself a chance to succeed.


*Over-setting goals...


It's amazing how the mind can work. If you think about it, your ability to succeed is driven by your mentality. When we set our goals, we must be careful not to over set. Meaning, never set a goal that is not within close reach. Why? Because for you, it will feel like you'll never get there. If you say to yourself, my goal is to lose 100 pounds and you manage to lose 10, you'll be happy for some type of loss, but you'll still feel engulfed and overwhelmed by that 90 pounds you have left. We live in a society where everyone one wants everything to happen fast. Most of the time, when we set these large goals, we end up quitting before we reach them because it's simply taking too long.


Now, there is a proper way to set goals. Instead of saying I need to lose 100 pounds, try this. My goal is to lose 2-3 pounds a week. This is certainly attainable and you are more likely to reach this goal. Remember it's all about your mentality, so when you actually reach a goal, you will have made an accomplishment and you will feel successful! You are now more likely to set the next goal and reach it as well.