If you're like most people, you probably make ambitious goals with the best of intentions but then find yourself struggling to meet them. Here are some tips for setting yourself up for success from sociologist, life coach and O Magazine columnist Martha Beck:
- Identify your goal: You'd be surprised how many people fail to clearly identify their goal. Rather than saying you plan "to lose weight," commit to losing 10 pounds.
- Break it down: Next, Beck suggests breaking down your goal into a single daily task, such as exercising for 30 minutes. Then keep dividing it in half until it seems easy. Working out for half an hour might turn into walking around the block.
- Reward daily achievements: It's important to set small rewards to encourage yourself whenever you meet a daily goal. Browse StainlessLUX's website to find great treats under $15, such as a stainless steel tumblers, soap dispenser or straws. While these inexpensive items won't break the bank, they're sure to provide you with incentive!
- Reward "four-day wins": Beck says that once you've practiced a behavior for four days in a row, it will start to feel like a habit. She recommends giving yourself an even bigger reward once you've conquered your first four-day challenge. If you like to cook, try treating yourself to a chef-quality mortar and pestle. Avid entertainers might spring for a gorgeous pitcher or a lovely wire fruit basket.
"If you meet your ridiculously easy daily goals, you absolutely must give yourself the reward," Beck writes in her book, The Four Day Win. "You must also resist any temptation to give yourself the reward if you don't meet your goals."
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