Goal Setting ~ 1st step towards achieving something!

Tips on Setting Goals for Yourself

Goal setting and achieving your weight loss goals can be easily attained if you decide "exactly" what you want before you start. For almost as long as I can remember I have said things like,

• "I want to lose weight" and
• "I want to be thin."

These are great weight loss goals but they were actually more like dreams because I didn't create a plan and I wasn't specific enough. When you want to make changes in your life you must begin with goal setting:

~ Give yourself specific weight loss goals to reach. Maybe a time frame, an exact amount you want to lose, or possibly what size clothing you want to wear. If you aren't specific you won't know what it will take to reach your weight loss goals or when you even get there!

~Write your goals down!

~ Come up with a plan and don't forget to readjust the plan as needed to ensure that you are successful!

~Be realistic in your expectations of yourself.

~Engage in positive self talk when you feel yourself slipping away from you goal.

More tips on setting goals:

It seems as though so many people are seeking more, wanting more, and expecting more in their lives, yet when pressed about what "more" would look like, rarely can they give a definitive answer. They say things like,"I want to be happy," or "I want to be rich," or "I want the perfect mate." To be honest, as wonderful as those statements are, they're far too vague to ever be reached.

What does happiness look and feel like? What's your definition of rich? How would you describe that perfect mate? Each of us has a different interpretation of what those things mean.

For example, I define happiness as having the freedom to do what I please, when I please to do it. Being rich means having tens of millions of dollars in the bank, and that perfect mate has movie actress charm and the heart of Mother Teresa.

To you, however, these descriptions could be way off course. For you, happiness could mean taking a long-needed vacation. Being rich could mean not having to struggle to make ends meet. Your perfect mate might be the one beside you all along.

The point is, we all need to define our goals, and most important, what they would look like if we saw them. Once we do that, the rest becomes easy. Once we know what we're seeking, it's simple to devise a plan to make it happen.

By saying, "I want to be happy, and that means taking that trip," all you now have to do is get out your calendar, circle the date you want to go, get some brochures on the desired destination, and then plan a course of ACTION to make your dream come true. You might do it by asking your boss to take $50 a week out of your paycheck and save it toward the vacation. Or you might want to work an extra job to gain some additional cash.

You see, once you have your vision, you can create ways to make it happen because . . .

The easiest way to hit a goal is to give yourself one to hit.

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Fast Food Foible?	released: 03/14/2010
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Saturday "Smart Swap!": Save Loco Taco Calories	released: 03/12/2010
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Tax Time Tips	released: 03/12/2010
If your fees for a weight-loss program are considered medical expenses, you may be able to write them off on your taxes! A weight-loss program prescribed by a doctor in order to treat a specific medical condition (i.e., obesity, diabetes) is required. While OTC diet products do not qualify for the break, if your doctor prescribes a special food or beverage you may be able to deduct the extra cost (if it is more than the cost of your normal food expenses). You can only deduct these or any other kind of medical expenses if you itemize and the expenses are greater than 7.5% of your AGI (adjusted gross income). For a list of qualifying expenses, see IRS publication 502 at irs.gov or talk to your accountant. Tax Time Tips originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 00:28:39. Permalink | Comment | Email this