I’m really good at setting high expectations and goals for myself, then being disappointed when I don’t reach them.  However, one thing I have learned is to celebrate when I do things right – even if it is something small.  Yeah, small – like choosing to have veggies over chips with my sandwich.

I think we often get caught up in thinking that if we don’t do everything “perfect” then all our hard work doesn’t count.  We want to eat “perfectly” then get upset about having that dessert – regardless of the fact that we ate all our target servings of fruits and vegetables for the day.  Well, rather than focusing on the negative, here’s what I suggest.  When you do something “right,” or something that moves your towards your goal, give yourself a pat on the back.  “I’m proud of myself for eating veggies with my sandwich rather than the Cheetos I really wanted.  Keep up the good work, girl!”  If you do something that doesn’t move you towards your goal, think about why you made that choice and what you would do differently.  Then, don’t dwell on it – move on!  The next time that choice comes up, think about what happened last time and what you said you’d do differently – and DO IT!

Life is too short to continually focus on the negative.  Take some time out and celebrate the positives!

I have a client who has been, do date, my most successful client in reaching his weight loss goals.  He’s made goals, decided the things he wanted to work on and followed the guidance I’ve provided.  What sets him apart from my other clients? His goal setting and tracking.  Every Saturday morning he decides on his goals for the upcoming week and evaluates how he did reaching the goals he set for the current week.  This keeps him focused on where he is going.

I’m a fan of setting goals and putting them in writing.  If it is in writing, then it is real.  However, recently I’ve come upon another way to help you achieve your goals, and it came from an unlikely place – Jerry Seinfeld.  When Jerry Seinfeld was starting out, he had the goal of writing jokes every day.  He kept himself on track and motivated by building a chain – and not breaking the chain.  Here’s how it works. . .

Set a goal for yourself and decide what you have to do to make that goal a reality.  Then, get a calendar that has all the months on a single page and a big marker of your favorite color.  Each day you do the activity that moves you towards your goal, mark a big “X” on that day.  Each day you move towards your goal, you get an “X,” and you build a chain of Xs.  Keep the chain going.  If you miss a day, no X and the chain is broken.

Here’s an example: I’m in school working towards a PhD in Kinesiology.  I have to get a Candidacy paper written.  My goal is to work on a part of that paper each day.  I recently started using a product called toodledo to manage my task list and goals – and link the two.  Every day I do a task working towards getting my Candidacy paper done, I get a link in my chain.  Toodledo actually builds a chain on my goal page.  Not breaking that chain has become an incredibly powerful motivator for me – and even better every day I get closer to reaching my goal.

Interested?  Give it a try for yourself.  You could track it in Outlook with an all day task marked a certain color.  Or, come up with a way to make it work for you.  Want to learn more?  Here’s a description of the discussion with Jerry Seinfeld.

And, remember – Don’t Break The Chain to achieve your goals!

• S = Specific
• M = Measurable
• A = Action-oriented
• R = Realistic
• T = Timely

If the goal is “lose weight” it isn’t a SMART goal (doesn’t really meat any of the SMART guidelines except, maybe, realistic – we’ll presume it is realistic).  Let’s try again: lose 15 pounds.  Still not completely SMART.  One more time: lose 15 pounds by June 1 by working out at least five times a week and reducing my calorie intake by 500 calories per day.  That one is a bit longer, but it is also SMART.

• S = specific: has an amount of weight, due date, and details for working out and calorie intake
• M = measurable: weight, date, number of times to workout and calories to cut are all measurable
• A = action-oriented: the workout goal and calorie amounts are both actions to help achieve success
• R = realistic: we’ll presume all of the items listed are realistic
• T = timely: has a due-date to help with accountability

Second, big goals – like the one above – should also be broken into smaller goals.  These smaller goals help make the big goal achievable.  The smaller goals should also follow the SMART guideline.  Smaller goals can cover any timeframe from a day to a couple of weeks.  Continuing with the previous example, a couple of smaller goals could be:

• Go to bed by 9PM to be able to get enough sleep and get up at 5AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to work out for an hour for the next three weeks.
• Pack lunch and snacks for tomorrow and include choices such as yogurt, fruit and light string cheese.

Both of these smaller goals meet the SMART guidelines.